Biden and Xi speak for the first time since November as part of efforts to reduce tensions

Biden emphasizes the importance of "maintaining peace and stability" in the Taiwan Strait

The US Secretary of State will travel to China "in the coming weeks"

The president of the United States, Joe Biden, and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, spoke by telephone this Tuesday for the first time since the summit held in November in the state of California within the framework of the efforts of both countries to reduce tensions bilateral.

The White House has indicated in a statement that Biden has emphasized to his Chinese counterpart "the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait" as well as "freedom of navigation in the South China Sea."

"He expressed concern about the People's Republic of China's support for Russia's defense industrial base and its impact on European and transatlantic security, and emphasized the enduring commitment of the United States to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," he said. aggregate.

Likewise, the US president has expressed to his Chinese counterpart "his continued concern about China's unfair free market trade policies," as they "harm American workers and families."

"The president emphasized that the United States will continue to take necessary steps to prevent advanced American technologies from being used to undermine our national security, without unduly limiting trade and investment," he added.

Finally, the White House has highlighted that both have welcomed "ongoing efforts to maintain open channels of communication and responsibly manage the" bilateral "relationship through high-level diplomacy and working-level consultations in the coming weeks and months".

For his part, a senior Biden Administration official has assured that both have discussed sensitive issues, such as tensions around Taiwan, China's support for Russia in its invasion of Ukraine, as well as growing threats to cybersecurity.

Likewise, the senior official confirmed in a press conference that the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, will also travel to China "in the coming weeks", although he has not specified a specific date.

The call comes shortly before US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen travels to China on April 3 to hold meetings with her counterparts for five days in Beijing and Guangzhou, according to a report. statement from the Treasury Department.

Biden and Xi agreed to reduce tensions between the two countries during "constructive and productive" talks last November. The last call between the two leaders took place in July 2022.

After the summit, the Chinese Ministry of Defense expressed its willingness to maintain "solid and stable" military relations with the United States in January during a meeting between officials from China's International Military Cooperation Office and the US Department of Defense.

Bilateral relations were affected, mainly, after several trips by senior US officials to the island of Taiwan and the witnessing of an alleged Chinese spy balloon in US airspace.