White House Says Upcoming Biden-Xi Call Expected to Cover Taiwan, Ukraine

The two leaders are set to speak later this week

The White House said on Tuesday that the upcoming phone call between President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping will cover Taiwan and the war in Ukraine.

“Everything from the tensions over Taiwan, to the war in Ukraine, as well as how we better manage competition between our two nations, certainly in the economic sphere,” White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said.

The call is expected to be held later this week and it will be the fifth time the two leaders hold talks since Biden took office. The conversation will come amid soaring tensions between the US and China over Washington’s increasing ties with Taiwan.

China is warning of strong consequences if House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) goes through with a planned trip to Taiwan next month. Reports have said that Biden administration officials fear that Pelosi’s visit to the island could spark a major crisis across the Taiwan Strait and are warning against it.

The administration insists that even though they think Pelosi’s trip would be dangerous, they can’t make her not go, something Kirby reiterated. He said that Pelosi’s travels are a matter of US national security since she is in the line of succession to the presidency, but that it’s ultimately her decision.

Author: Dave DeCamp

Dave DeCamp is the news editor of Antiwar.com, follow him on Twitter @decampdave.