U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping concluded their virtual summit today, agreeing to reduce the heightened tensions between the United States and China. However, Xi warned his American counterpart during the summit against pursuing Taiwan independence, considering it akin to playing with fire. He stated, according to the official Xinhua news agency, that "Taiwanese authorities have repeatedly tried to rely on the United States to achieve independence, and some in America are trying to use Taiwan to control China." He further added, "This trend is very dangerous; it's like playing with fire, and those who play with fire will get burned."
**Biden's Concerns**
Meanwhile, Biden expressed his "concerns" regarding human rights in China and issued a warning about Taiwan during the summit, according to a statement released by the White House. He also voiced his concerns about "Beijing's practices in Xinjiang, Tibet, and Hong Kong, and human rights in general." However, he simultaneously noted that the U.S. will remain committed to the “one China” policy, affirming that he "strongly opposes" any unilateral attempts to change the status quo or disrupt peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, as stated in the text released after the hours-long meeting.
**Taiwan**
It is noteworthy that Taiwan's fate has recently become a major source of tension between the two sides, with warnings exchanged on Saturday between U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi. Blinken expressed "concern over the ongoing military, diplomatic, and economic pressures from the People's Republic of China against Taiwan," according to a U.S. State Department statement. In contrast, Wang warned of the dangers of U.S. actions that may appear supportive of "Taiwan independence," a self-governing island that China considers an integral part of its territory.
In recent years, the U.S. administration has been careful not to show overt recognition of Taiwan; however, the island enjoys widespread support from both parties in Congress, with a group of lawmakers visiting it this month, which angered Beijing. Nonetheless, tensions between the two sides are not limited to this issue, as there are other sensitive topics such as trade relations and human rights.
