Amid tensions between US and China, Biden and Xi to meet by end of year

Jen Psaki, White House press secretary: “As I understand it, what came out of the discussions was an agreement to continue dialogue at a very high level. So what we’ve said, of course, and we continue to believe is that leader level engagement is an important part of our effort to responsibly manage the competition with China, especially given the coalescing of power in Chinese leadership. We’re still working through what that would look like, when and of course, the final details, so we don’t have quite have them yet.

Reporter: “Secondly, the president indicated last night that he had spoken to President Xi about Taiwan. Was this in their more recent phone call, and what exactly did he tell them?”

Jen Psaki, White House press secretary: “So just you didn’t ask this, but some others have asked us. He did not have a new call (with Xi) that you’re not aware of, so just for full clarity on that. He has spoken with him twice, as you know, and certainly reiterating our position as it relates to, you know, which is guided by the Taiwan Relations Act and our view that we need to uphold that commitment, our commitments under the Act. That is what the president reiterated to President Xi last time he talked and is something that is raised nearly every time he speaks at a leader level and at other levels as well.”

Reporter: “How concerned are you that these recent activities (by the Chinese) might actually escalate and then draw the U.S. into some sort of great power war with China? And so what are you doing to maintain tensions beyond kind of ad hoc meetings like the Zurich meeting that Jake Sullivan?”

Jen Psaki, White House press secretary: “I wouldn’t call a meeting with our national security advisor and his counterpart in ad hoc meeting. Obviously, we raise our concerns through a range of channels. The State Department also put out a public statement, a proactive statement on this, which is not something they do frequently, and the secretary of State spoke to it today,”

Reporter: “Are there regular meetings to make sure that things like this don’t escalate into something bigger?”

Jen Psaki, White House press secretary: “Of course we do, as you well know.”