Beijing: Chinese President Xi Jinping warned US President Joe Biden that a confrontation between the two countries will be disastrous for both nations and the world.
It was the first phone call between the two leaders after Biden took over as American President last month.
“The President underscored his fundamental concerns about Beijing’s coercive and unfair economic practices, crackdown in Hong Kong, human rights abuses in Xinjiang, and increasingly assertive actions in the region, including towards Taiwan,” the White House said in a statement.
Countering that, a statement carried by the Chinese official news agency quoted Xi as saying that the issues raised by Biden were China’s internal affairs.
“The Taiwan question and issues relating to Hong Kong, Xinjiang, etc are China’s internal affairs and concern China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the US side should respect China’s core interests and act prudently,” Xi told Biden.
Xi stressed that despite differences on some issues, both countries must show mutual respect, treat each other as equals and handle the differences in a constructive fashion.
“When China and the US work together, they can accomplish a great deal for the good of both countries and the world at large; confrontation between the two countries, however, will definitely be disastrous for both countries and the world,” Xi added.
