US President Joe Biden met for the first time on Wednesday, February 10, with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, questioning him about the situation in Hong Kong and the fate of the Uighur Muslim minority. In the call, which comes three weeks after coming to power, Biden expressed his “Deep concerns” concerning economic practices “Unjust and coercive” of Beijing, the repression in Hong Kong and the “Human rights violations” in Xinjiang, according to a White House report.
The two leaders also discussed the Covid-19 pandemic and the “Common challenges” global health security and climate change. According to experts, more than a million Uighurs are or have been detained in political re-education camps in Xinjiang. Beijing rejects the term “Camps” and affirms that they are vocational training centers, intended to provide employment to the population and therefore to distance them from religious extremism.
Rupture or continuity?
The new president is eagerly awaited on the sensitive issue of US-Chinese relations as the subjects of tension between the two leading world powers are numerous. If he has clearly displayed his desire to break with Donald Trump’s foreign policy, this is one of the rare cases where he could, in essence, advocate a certain continuity with his predecessor.
In an interview broadcast on CBS Sunday, Joe Bien warned that the rivalry between the United States and China would take the form of a “Extreme competition”, while ensuring that he wanted to avoid a ” conflict “ between the two countries. Asked about his Chinese counterpart, he added: “He’s very tough. He hasn’t, and I’m not saying this as a criticism, it’s just reality, he doesn’t have an ounce of democracy in him ”.
A senior administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, also reaffirmed on Wednesday that the customs taxes on Chinese products put in place under the Trump presidency remained in place for the time being, pending. a comprehensive review of US trade strategy. “We have not taken a decision on this file”, he said. “There will be changes in our trade policy towards China, but they are not immediate and in the meantime, we are not removing customs taxes,” he added, stressing the desire of the White House to develop this strategy “In connection with the allies”.
