Biden warns Xi on Taiwan, reaffirms he doesn’t back independence
WASHINGTON — U.S. President Joe Biden warned Chinese President Xi Jinping against military action to reunify Taiwan with the mainland but said he doesn’t support a formal declaration of independence by the island, in the first conversation between the two leaders since March.
Xi told Biden that it’s the will of the Chinese people to “resolutely safeguard China’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity” regarding Taiwan and that “whoever plays with fire will get burnt,” according to a statement by the Chinese Foreign Ministry, repeating a warning he’s used in past calls with the U.S. president.
