'Those Who Play With Fire Will Perish by It,' President Xi Said

Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke with U.S. President Joe Biden on the phone at the request of the latter on Thursday evening. The two presidents had a candid communication and exchange on China-U.S. relations and issues of mutual interest.

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Xi pointed out that in the world today, the trends of turbulence and transformation are evolving, and deficits in development and security are looming large. Faced with a world of change and disorder, the people around the world expect China and the United States to take the lead in upholding world peace and security and in promoting global development and prosperity. This is the responsibility of China and the United States as two major countries.

He underscored that to approach and define China-U.S. relations in terms of strategic competition and view China as the primary rival and the most serious long-term challenge would be misperceiving China-U.S. relations and misreading China's development, and would mislead the people of the two countries and the international community. The two sides need to maintain communication at all levels and make good use of existing communication channels to promote bilateral cooperation.

Recognizing the many challenges facing the global economy, Xi underscored the need for China and the U.S. to maintain communication on such important issues as coordinating macroeconomic policies, keeping global industrial and supply chains stable, and protecting global energy and food security. Attempts at decoupling or severing supply chains in defiance of underlying laws would not help boost the U.S. economy. They would only make the world economy more vulnerable.

The Chinese president said the two sides need to work for deescalation of regional hotspots, help rid the world of COVID-19 as early as possible, reduce the risk of stagflation and recession, and safeguard the international system with the United Nations at its core and the international order underpinned by international law.

Xi elaborated on China's principled position on the Taiwan question. He highlighted that the historical context of the Taiwan question is crystal clear, and so are the fact and status quo that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to China.

The three China-U.S. joint communiques embody the political commitments made by the two sides, and the one-China principle is the political foundation for China-U.S. relations, Xi said, adding that China firmly opposes secession aimed at "Taiwan independence" and external interference, and never allows any room for "Taiwan independence" forces in whatever form.

The Chinese government's position on the Taiwan question is consistent, and resolutely safeguarding China's national sovereignty and territorial integrity is the firm will of over 1.4 billion Chinese people. The will of the people cannot be defied and those who play with fire will perish by it, President Xi said, adding that it is hoped that the U.S. will be clear-eyed about this.

He also called on the United States to honor the one-China principle and implement the three China-U.S. joint communiques both in word and in deed.

Biden said the world is at a critical moment, adding that U.S.-China cooperation benefits not only the people of the two countries, but also the people of all countries. The U.S. hopes to keep an open line of communication with China to enhance mutual understanding and avoid misperception and miscalculation, and will work with China where the interests of the two countries align and, at the same time, properly manage differences.

"Today I spoke with President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China as part of our efforts to deepen lines of communication, responsibly manage our differences, and address issues of mutual interest, Biden tweeted.

Biden reiterated that the one-China policy of the United States has not changed and will not change, and that the United States does not support "Taiwan independence," as reported by Xinhua agency.

The two presidents also exchanged views on issues including the Ukraine crisis. Xi reiterated China's principled position. Both presidents viewed their call as candid and in-depth. They agreed to stay in touch and instructed the two teams to keep up communication and cooperation.