Joe Biden will soon speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping. This was announced by the American president himself on the sidelines of an event at the San Diego naval base in California together with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
The interview
The interview should serve to ease the tensions arising after the discovery, the
last month, the Chinese spy balloon that soared over some US military sites and Xi’s unusually sharp criticism of the United States. A few hours earlier, during Biden’s trip on Air Force One to California, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan had anticipated the news of the interview. Sullivan also spoke about it last Friday: “I know the president wants to be clear on the fact that we want to keep the lines of communication open.”
When asked if he was concerned that China considered Aukus, the agreement between the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States to supply nuclear-powered submarines, a provocation, Biden replied: “no”.
China: “United States show sincerity”
“We believe that the value and meaning of communication lies in enhancing understanding, managing differences, and not communicating for the sake of communication. The US side should show sincerity, meet China halfway, and take concrete actions to get relations back on track bilateral”. This is the comment of Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin, when asked about the possible talks between Presidents Xi Jinping and Joe Biden.
Australia yesterday announced the purchase of up to five nuclear-powered submarines from the United States, and then build a new model with US and British technologies as part of an ambitious plan to strengthen Western forces in the Asia-Pacific area facing a rise of China. US President Joe Biden stressed that Australia, which 18 months ago joined the alliance with Washington and London (Aukus), will not get nuclear weapons.
China: “Aukus Pact fruit of Cold War mentality”
The Aukus program on submarines, announced yesterday by the US, the UK and Australia, for the Chinese government “was born under a typical Cold War mentality, which will only stimulate an arms race, sabotage the international nuclear non-proliferation system and damage the peace and regional stability”. This is the comment of Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin.
Source-tg24.sky.it