US President Joe Biden had a first phone conversation with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Thursday, in a goodwill gesture to begin the process of reshaping China-US relations after four years of drastic deterioration. The call, held on the eve of the Lunar New Year, revealed the gulf of tensions lingering between the major powers, as Biden pressed Xi on issues of trade, human rights and the Indo-Pacific region.
Biden also raised cooperation on preventing weapons proliferation, an issue left off the Chinese read-out of the call and a likely reference to the US seeking Chinese cooperation on constraining North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme. China-US relations are too important to leave to Xi and Biden Biden committed to pursuing “practical, results-oriented engagements when it advances the interests of the American people and those of our allies”, according to the White House.
Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines
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