Joe Biden to speak with China’s Xi on Thursday as US-China ties worsen

Bloomberg

President Joe Biden will speak with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Thursday amid fresh tensions over Taiwan, according to people familiar with the matter.
The first conversation between the two presidents since March will take place at a particularly difficult juncture for US-China ties: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s staff and security officials aren’t ruling out plans for her to visit Taiwan in early August.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said that Beijing was getting “seriously prepared” for the possibility that Pelosi could visit the self-governing island, which China considers part of its territory.
US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns said in June that relations with China have deteriorated to probably “the lowest moment” since diplomatic relations resumed in 1972. Biden, who is recovering from the coronavirus at the White House, also is considering whether to lift some tariffs on Chinese imports in a bid to stem rampant inflation.
US officials have stressed that the Xi call would be a continuation of the administration’s efforts to maintain open lines of communication to ensure that the relationship doesn’t veer into unintended conflict.
No final decision has been made about a stop in Taiwan during Pelosi’s trip to Asia next month, according to a person familiar with the details. Pelosi would be the first sitting speaker since Newt Gingrich to visit the island.
Beijing immediately vowed to take “resolute and strong” measures in response and warned of a “grave impact” on bilateral relations should Pelosi go ahead with the trip. China also privately warned the Biden administration of a possible military response, the Financial Times reported.
“All the ensuing consequences shall be borne by the US side,” Zhao said.
Wang Yang, a member of the Politburo Standing Committee, said at a meeting on Tuesday that “no individual and no force should underestimate the resolve, the will and the ability of the Chinese people to defend their national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
He also “stressed the importance of upholding the one-China principle,” according to the official Xinhua News Agency.
In the US, lawmakers in both parties encouraged Pelosi to make the trip, saying not doing so following China’s protestations would amount to acquiescing to Beijing.