Biden predicts China ‘thaw’ – RT World News
However, the US president has always insisted he would arm Taiwan and ‘respond’ to any attempt by Beijing to retake the island.
US President Joe Biden told reporters there would soon be a “thaw” in relations between Washington and Beijing. With US sanctions still in place and G7 leaders accusing China of posing a military and economic threat, Beijing has questioned Biden’s rhetoric “sincerity.”
Speaking at a press conference on Sunday after the G7 leaders’ summit in Hiroshima, Japan, Biden said diplomatic communication between the United States and China ceased after a balloon was shot down. alleged Chinese surveillance in US airspace in February.
“Everything has changed in terms of talking to each other,” said the US president. However, relations have apparently improved, with Biden adding, “I think you’re going to see that start to unfreeze very soon.”
Biden followed up his detente prediction, however, with mixed messages on Taiwan. After first saying the United States supports the “One China” policy – which recognizes, but does not endorse Beijing’s sovereignty over the island – Biden then vowed that the United States would continue to sell weapons in Taipei and said that “If China acted unilaterally, there would be a response.”
Biden did not say whether that response would involve the US military, but he has repeatedly said he would send US troops to repel a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. China has bitterly condemned these statements, arguing that they “seriously violate” the “One China” policy.
Responding to Biden’s comments, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Monday that her country was maintaining the “the necessary quantities of communication” with the United States.
“Now the United States says it wants to talk to the Chinese side while seeking to suppress China by all possible means and impose sanctions on Chinese officials, institutions and companies,” she continued. “Is there any sincerity in… communication like this?
When asked if he would consider lifting sanctions against Chinese officials, including Defense Minister Li Shangfu, Biden replied: “No, I’m not going to ease the penalties.”
In a joint statement released on Saturday, Biden and his fellow G7 leaders denounced China for allegedly “economic coercion” the militarization of the South China Sea, and “interference” with foreign diplomats.
“If the G7 summit wants to discuss the issue of economic coercion, we might as well first discuss how the United States coerces the other six member states,” he added. The Chinese Foreign Ministry responded. “The days when a handful of Western countries could deliberately meddle in the internal affairs of other countries and manipulate global affairs are over.”
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