When the clock struck 8:33 a.m. in Washington and 8:33 p.m. in Beijing this Thursday, Joe Biden and Xi Jinping they picked up the phone for a long-awaited conversationthe first in four months, with a cobblestone backdrop.
A renewed tension over Taiwan in the wake of a possible trip by Nancy Pelosi to the island, it put Beijing on alert and the Pentagon nervous.
The White House reported the start of the phone call and, as is tradition in these cases, a statement with its content was expected at the end.
Its about fifth telephone exchange of the two leaders since Biden arrived at the White House in January 2021.
Nancy Pelosi. Photo: AP
The call has aroused special attention due to the tensions between the two powers due to the war in Ukraine, in which China supports RussiaUS tariffs on Chinese products and, above all, the possible trip to Taiwan by the president of the House of Representatives.
Pelosi announced her plans to go to Taiwan in April, but had to suspend the trip due to contracting covid-19; and now, according to some US media, is making preparations to visit the island this summeralthough his office has not yet made any official announcement.
In response, the Chinese government has warned that will respond with “strong measures” if Pelosi visits Taiwan, in what would be the first visit by a US House Speaker to Taiwan since 1997, when Newt Gingrich visited the island.
Taiwan is one of the biggest reasons for conflict between China and the United Statesmainly due to the fact that Washington is Taiwan’s main arms supplier and would be its greatest military ally in the event of a possible war with China.
In 1979, after breaking diplomatic ties with Taipei and establishing them with Beijing, the United States adopted the Taiwan Relations Act, in which he committed himself to the defense of the island and the supply of war equipment.
EFE
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