Xi Jinping warns Biden of China's intent to reunite with Taiwan, NBC reports
The head of China, Xi Jinping, directly told US President Joe Biden that he would seek to reunify Taiwan with mainland China, reports NBC.
"Xi told Biden in a group meeting attended by a dozen American and Chinese officials that China’s preference is to take Taiwan peacefully, not by force," the material states.
Additionally, China's leader referred to public predictions by US military leaders stating that Xi Jinping planned to seize Taiwan in 2025 or 2027. He informed Biden that they were wrong because he did not set any specific timelines.
"Chinese officials also asked in advance of the summit that Biden make a public statement after the meeting saying that the United States supports China’s goal of peaceful unification with Taiwan and does not support Taiwanese independence, they said. The White House rejected the Chinese request," NBC reports.
Xi Jinping, who aims to double the size of the Chinese economy by 2035, also stated that "we must continue to pursue economic development as our central task."
Some experts doubt that China will attack Taiwan if it does not declare independence, as a military conflict would likely hinder Beijing from achieving its economic goals.
According to American officials, during the San Francisco summit, Xi Jinping expressed concern about the candidates running for president of Taiwan in the upcoming elections next month. They said Xi also emphasized the influence that the US exerted on Taiwan.
When Biden asked China to respect the electoral process in Taiwan, Xi responded that peace was good, but China ultimately needed to move toward resolution.
NBC writes that after the summit, Biden reaffirmed the longstanding US policy.
"We maintain an agreement that there is a 'One China' policy," Biden said.
Chinese official Hua Chunying, who was present at the meeting, later wrote that Xi told Biden and other American officials that the "Taiwan question remains the most important and most sensitive issue in China-U.S. relations."
One of the main causes of conflict between China and the US is the future of Taiwan. Beijing regards it as a separatist province and seeks to regain full control. However, Taiwan sees itself as an independent country with a separate economy and democratically elected leaders.
The United States provides military assistance to Taiwan, intensifying the conflict between Washington and Beijing.
In November, Chinese leader Xi Jinping assured US President Joe Biden that China would not attack Taiwan in the coming years.
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