Strictly Warns About Taiwan In Talks With President Biden, Chinese Leader Xi Jinping: Those Who Play With Fire Will Perish For It

President Joe Biden on the phone with President Xi Jinping. (Twitter @POTUS)

JAKARTA - Chinese leader Xi Jinping warned about playing with fire in Taiwan, in a phone call with US President Joe Biden on Thursday about Beijing's concerns on a planned visit by US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi to the island.

"Those who play with fire will perish because of it," China's Foreign Ministry quoted President Xi as saying to President Biden in their fifth call as the leader, as reported by Reuters, July 29.

"It is hoped that the US will be cleared about this," the ministry continued.

President Xi said the United States must adhere to the "one-China principle" and stressed that China firmly opposes Taiwan's independence and the interference of external powers.

Meanwhile, President Biden told President Xi that US policy on Taiwan has not changed and that Washington strongly opposes unilateral attempts to change the status quo or undermine peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, the White House said, referring to the 100-mile-wide waterway that separates the Taiwan island from the mainland.

A senior US official who briefed the media on the meeting said the two leaders had discussed the possibility of holding the first face-to-face meeting as leaders and directed their teams to investigate this.

Biden has stressed the importance of keeping lines of communication open in Taiwan and the two have also discussed areas of cooperation, including climate change, health security, and counter-narcotics, the official said.

While highlighting Taiwan, President Xi also stressed that the two countries, which are the world's two largest economies, need to maintain communication on macroeconomic policies, global supply chains, and safeguard global food and energy security, the Chinese reading said.

Beijing has issued a heightened warning about the repercussions of having Pelosi visit Taiwan, which says it faces rising Chinese military and economic threats.

The House speaker's visit would be a dramatic, albeit unprecedented, show of US support for the island, and some analysts fear such a move at a time of strained relations could trigger a major crisis and even unintended clashes.

China has provided some hints for a specific response it might make if Pelosi, a longtime critic of Beijing, especially on human rights issues, made the trip, which has not been confirmed.

Today I spoke with President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China as part of our efforts to deepen lines of communication, responsibly manage our differences, and address issues of mutual interest. pic.twitter.com/mwIeg35h8j

— President Biden (@POTUS) July 28, 2022