Biden and Xi hold first discussions since November, talk Taiwan and tech

Call comes ahead of flurry of diplomatic engagement, with both sides maintaining they want to reduce friction.

United States President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping have had their first direct conversation since November, with officials describing their talk as “constructive”.

But details from Tuesday’s phone call hinted at long-running tensions between China and the US, with Xi calling questions of sovereignty in Taiwan a “red line” not to be crossed.

The leaders last spoke on the sidelines of the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in California in November, with both sides hailing progress while remaining at loggerheads over issues like Taiwan and technology development.

Speaking to reporters on background on Tuesday, a US official said the call was meant to be more of a “checking in” and was not necessarily meant to achieve any policy breakthroughs.

“The two leaders held a candid and constructive discussion on a range of bilateral, regional, and global issues, including areas of cooperation and areas of difference,” the White House said in a statement following the call.