US President Joe Biden through his first telephone conversation with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping expressed concern over Chinese policy.
According to Bernama, it was quoted by Sputnik news agency as saying that Biden also vowed to protect the safety of US citizens from external threats.
"Biden today spoke to Jinping. He wished a Happy Chinese New Year to the people of the country. Biden stressed his priority to protect the safety, well-being, health, and way of life of the American people as well as to keep the Indo-Pacific free and open, "the White House said in a statement yesterday.
Biden in the conversation promised to continue ‘practical and revenue-oriented relations’ in line with the interests of the US people and their allies.
Biden stressed his main concerns about the coercive and unfair economy practiced by Beijing, the crackdown on Hong Kong, the human rights violations in Xinjiang, and the increasingly stringent actions in the region, including against Taiwan.
The two leaders also exchanged views on tackling the COVID-19 pandemic, and the common challenges of global health safety, climate change, and prevention preventing the development of weapons, ”the statement added.
Meanwhile, according to local Chinese media reports, Jinping warned Biden that bad relations between the US and China would not do any good.
Relations between the two countries have become increasingly tense, especially on trade, espionage and pandemics.
Beijing has repeatedly called on the Biden administration to restore broken US-China relations under former President Donald Trump.
