US-China ‘hotline’ opened…but Biden “won’t provide technology to fight US military” [Backbook Global].

On November 15th, U.S. President Joe Biden (right) listens to the remarks of Xi Jinping (left), President of China, during the U.S.-China summit held in conjunction with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in Woodside, near San Francisco, California. AP-Yonhap News

U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a summit on November 15th (local time), their first in a year, and achieved significant results such as the restoration of the U.S.-China military dialogue channel. However, they confirmed a tense difference in positions regarding issues such as advanced technology control and the Taiwan problem. Although the U.S.-China relationship, which had been on the brink of collision, appears to have entered a ‘adjustment phase’ through this meeting, the diagnosis is that there has been no change in the essential nature of the major power hegemony competition.

According to the White House and the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, President Xi expressed strong dissatisfaction with the U.S.’s export control against China at the face-to-face summit held in Woodside, near San Francisco, but President Biden made it clear that he cannot yield in the field of advanced technology.

President Xi said, “The U.S. continues to take measures targeting China, such as export control, investment review, and unilateral sanctions, seriously damaging China’s legitimate interests,” and “Suppressing China’s science and technology is to suppress China’s development and deprive the Chinese people of their right to development.”

He also strongly urged a change in the U.S.’s attitude of suppressing China’s technology with remarks such as “It is unrealistic for one side to remodel the other,” “The earth can accommodate both China and the U.S.,” and “Plans to suppress or blockade China should not be made.”

However, President Biden made it clear that he will continue export control against China from a national security perspective, saying, “We will not provide technology that will be used against the U.S. military to China.” He also pointed out that China’s infringement of corporate intellectual property rights is discouraging investment, as the competition between the two countries is not fair. Reuters reported that China is opposing the U.S.’s proposal to include sustainability and inclusiveness in the trade and investment policy principles of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member countries, as the two countries failed to find any compromise on major trade issues.

Regarding the Taiwan issue, President Xi urged, “The U.S. must implement its position of not supporting Taiwan’s independence through concrete actions,” and “It should stop arming Taiwan and support China’s peaceful reunification.” He demanded a halt to the sale of weapons to Taiwan, which is maintaining unofficial relations with Taiwan based on the Taiwan Relations Act.

President Xi particularly emphasized his will to merge Taiwan, stating, “China will definitely be unified.” In response, President Biden reaffirmed the U.S.’s respect for the ‘One China’ principle and requested that China respect Taiwan’s electoral procedures, stating, “The long-standing U.S. position is to maintain peace and stability.” A senior U.S. official said, “President Xi tried to convey that China is not preparing for a large-scale invasion of Taiwan, but that doesn’t change the U.S.’s approach.” The New York Times (NYT) reported, “The Taiwan presidential election in January next year will be a test of tension between the two countries.”

Despite the conflicts over major issues, the two leaders achieved not insignificant results, including △restoring the military dialogue channel △cooperating in drug (fentanyl) control △promoting dialogue among AI-related experts.

A senior U.S. official reported that President Biden strongly urged President Xi to institutionalize military-to-military dialogue, and President Xi agreed to institutionalize it. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs also announced that they agreed to resume high-level communication between the two militaries, defense ministry working-level meetings, maritime military security consultation body meetings, and commander-level phone calls. Accordingly, the two countries agreed to hold a meeting between U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and the newly appointed Chinese Defense Minister as soon as he is appointed. President Biden explained the significance of this agreement, saying, “A serious misjudgment with China or any major country can cause real big problems.”

The two countries also agreed to jointly respond to the illegal production and smuggling of drugs, including fentanyl, which is a serious problem in U.S. society. President Biden said in relation to this, “We will save lives,” and “I am grateful for President Xi’s commitment to this issue.” Although cooperation in the AI field did not reach the initially expected ‘prohibition of AI use in nuclear weapon management’, it is significant that the two sides opened a dialogue for the first time.

U.S. and Chinese media and experts gave a relatively positive assessment of the meeting, which prevented a catastrophe in bilateral relations. Wu Xinbo, director of the American Research Center at Fudan University, said, “China does not see this meeting as a turning point in U.S.-China relations,” but “it has the symbolic meaning of easing tensions between the two countries.” The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) evaluated, “It will be the last meeting between the two leaders ahead of next year’s U.S. election,” and “This gave a strong motivation to make this meeting a prelude to improving relations.” Meanwhile, the White House announced through a press release that President Biden emphasized to President Xi his commitment to denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and ironclad defense commitments to the Indo-Pacific allies including Korea and Japan.