Biden-Xi made no progress on Taiwan, resolving divisive issues between US & China: Analyst

United States President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping held more than three-hour virtual talks this week to reduce the bilateral tensions, however, the duo made no significant progress on the most divisive issues between the two nations, including Taiwan and the South China Sea. Analysts told news agency Sputnik that the conversation between the leaders of the world's two greatest powers, generated both good as well as bad news. 

Reportedly, Five College Peace and World Security Program Director Professor Michael Klare observed that “it’s a matter of a glass half full and half empty”. Klare noted that even though Biden and Xi managed to tone down the escalating tensions between US and China “which had been getting extremely tense in the weeks leading up to the virtual summit”, they failed to agree on steps to resolve any of the most divisive issues in the bilateral ties. 

Klare was quoted by the Russian news agency as saying that Biden and Xi “also set the foundation for future progress on some issues, such as climate change and trade. That's the half-full part”, adding that no steps were taken on matters such as Taiwan, the South China Sea, and human rights. He said, “That’s the half-empty part.” According to him, the virtual summit between the American and Chinese President, at the very best, has set the stage for a more constructive dialogue on some of the issues including trade, climate change. 

He further added that however, “Both leaders were very adamant in asserting their core interests - with China showing no flexibility on Taiwan and the US showing no flexibility on the South China Sea - so it is unclear whether further progress is possible on the most contentious issues.” Nevertheless, as per the report, Klare said that the meeting established a new precedent with both sides showing the willingness to participate in constructive dialogues to prevent tensions between them escalated dangerously. 

Klare said, “I do think the dynamic has been changed, in the sense that both leaders implicitly acknowledged that without some degree of dialogue and compromise, relations between the United States and China could ‘veer into conflict,’ as Biden put it, resulting in a major conflagration that neither seeks.”

Kerch Strait is a crucial waterway for international maritime trade and connects the Azov Sea with the Black Sea. Russia, however, counter-attacked the US, accusing it of turning the situation in the Black Sea into more fraught and flaring regional disharmony. 

White House said Biden raised Taiwan issue

According to the readout provided by the White House regarding Biden and Xi’s virtual summit, US President underscored “that the United States remains committed to the “one China” policy, guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the three Joint Communiques, and the Six Assurances, and that the United States strongly opposes unilateral efforts to change the status quo or undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.”

(IMAGE: AP)