(PartiallyPolitics.com) – On Monday, President Biden stated that he intended to speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping soon. The White House has also indicated that the two leaders are willing to have a discussion following the increase in tension between the two countries.
During a bilateral meeting with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in San Diego, Calif., President Biden had been asked about potentially talking with Xi. To this Biden said “yes” on whether he was planning to talk with him, but failed to provide any additional information on when that talk might take place.
On Monday, National security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters that Biden and Xi would most likely have a conversation following the end of the National People’s Congress, an annual legislative convention. He added that while there was no date set for a discussion, President Biden has shown a willingness to have a telephone conversation with Xi after the end of the National People’s Congress.
Biden and Xi have not communicated at all following the U.S. military shooting down a Chinese spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina in February. The balloon had crossed a large part of the continental United States before being brought down.
Following the detection of the spy balloon, U.S. officials disclosed that China had for years had a large-scale balloon surveillance program that they had been running and that such balloons had previously entered U.S. airspace a number of times.
The tension between the U.S. and China has also increased as reports have come out about China potentially assisting Russia during the Russian-Ukrainian war.
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