Xi Jinping warned Joe Biden not to “play with fire” as the Chinese and US presidents spoke for the first time since Beijing was angered by a potential visit to Taiwan by House of Representatives speaker Nancy Pelosi.
In a statement posted on the Chinese foreign ministry’s website after the two leaders talked on Thursday, Xi did not directly mention Pelosi’s possible visit but said his administration would “resolutely safeguard China’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity”.
“Those who play with fire will perish by it. It is hoped that the US will be clear-eyed about this,” China’s president added. China’s foreign ministry also quoted Biden as saying Washington’s one-China policy had not changed and that his administration did not support independence for the self-ruled island, which Beijing claims as part of its territory.