Xi Warns 'Old Friend' Biden About Supporting Taiwan's Independence

Biden told Xi that avoiding an "open conflict" over Taiwan was the responsibility of both superpowers.

US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping in a virtual conference. 

(Photo: Twitter/@BidensWork)

Chinese president Xi Jinping has warned US President Joe Biden during their virtual summit on Tuesday, 16 November, that China would not hesitate from taking “decisive measures” if US-backed Taiwan crosses Beijing’s red line, The Guardian reported.

That red line is Taiwan declaring independence from the People's Republic of China.

Supporting Taiwanese independence would be "like playing with fire", Xi is reported to have said, according to Chinese media sources, further warning that "those who play with fire will get burned."

The US President reportedly responded by stating that his government continues to follow the "one China policy” that recognises only one sovereign Chinese state.

He also said that the US administration "strongly opposes unilateral efforts to change the status quo or undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait."

The statement was a subtle warning to their ally Taiwan to not declare independence but at the same time, it conveyed to China that it opposes a Chinese invasion of the island by virtue of opposing any change to the status quo.

Avoiding an "open conflict" was the responsibility of both superpowers, Biden added.

Taiwan has been a flashpoint for Sino-American relations for many decades now, starting right from the time Mao's China allied itself with the Soviet Union against the US during the Cold War.

A detailed explanation of the tensions can be found here.

The tone of the virtual conference was nothing less than friendly, according to reports.

Xi even referred to Biden at one point as his "old friend", Reuters reported

(With inputs from The Guardian and Reuters)