- Biden on Monday morning spoke to Xi for the first time in almost five months
- Both leaders say they want to reduce tensions between the two nations
President Joe Biden held a phone call with the Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Tuesday morning in the latest effort to drive down tensions between the world’s two most powerful nations.
It was their first conversation since meeting in California almost five months ago.
A senior administration official told reporters on a briefing call that the aim was to strengthen lines of communication.
Particular areas of concern include the potential for election interference.
‘Like with any message we deliver to China or to other countries, it is one of continual reinforcement of concern,’ said the official.
President Joe Biden last spoke to Chinese President Xi Jinping in November, at the Filoli Estate in California on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperative conference
‘And I don’t think we ever really take the Chinese at their word when they say they will or will not do something. It is about verifying as the president says.
Other topics on the agenda were counter-narcotics cooperation, military-to-military contacts, climate change, and the potential risks of artificial intelligence.
‘The two leaders agreed to maintain regular open lines of communication to responsibly manage competition and prevent unintended conflict,’ said the official before the call.
‘And this phone call really is just part of that ongoing effort.’
Earlier this year, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said the November meeting had underscored the need for more contacts between senior officials from either side.
In San Francisco, the two leaders agreed to try to reduce tensions over a range of issues from Chinese military activity around Taiwan and American exports controls on a range of advanced tech.
Those tensions had driven relations to the lowest point in decades.
