‘Most important guardrails’: Xi warns Biden not to cross red lines with China

On the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Cooperation summit over the weekend, lame duck U.S. President Joe Biden was cautioned by China’s President Xi to not cross certain unnegotiable “red lines” that could strain U.S.-China relations if not respected.

Xi said during his meeting with Biden that decoupling from China or disrupting supply chains is not a solution to conflict, and touted “mutual beneficial cooperation” as the only thing that can lead to productivity between the world’s two largest economies.

“Small yard, high fence, is not what a major country should pursue. Only openness and sharing can improve the well-being of humanity,” Xi said.

According to the Independent, Xi outlined four red lines that the U.S. must not cross – China’s political and economic systems, its development interests, its record on human rights and democracy, and Taiwan.

China claims Taiwan as its own territory in its entirety. The democratically run nation was founded by China’s Nationalists – officially named the Republic of China – when they fled mainland China to Taiwan after Mao Zedong’s Communist army defeated them during China’s civil war in 1949. China has repeatedly said it would not rule out the use of force to claim back Taiwan.

“The Taiwan question, democracy and human rights, China’s path and system, and China’s development right are four red lines for China,” Xi reportedly told Biden, “They must not be challenged. These are the most important guardrails and safety nets for China-U.S. relations.”

Xi further warned against the U.S. trying to hold back China’s ambitions, even over Taiwan.

“A new Cold War should not be fought and cannot be won. Containing China is unwise, unacceptable and bound to fail,” Xi said, adding the U.S. should handle the “Taiwan question with extra prudence.”

Xi did, however, reach out to the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump, and said the two nations can expand cooperation and “inject more certainty and positive energy into the turbulent world.”

“China is ready to work with a new U.S. administration to maintain communication, expand cooperation, and manage differences, so as to strive for a steady transition of the China-U.S. relationship for the benefit of the two peoples,” Xi said.

According to a read out of the meeting published by the White House, Biden reiterated the U.S. position on the One China policy, calling for China to stop destabilizing military actions around Taiwan.

“On Taiwan, President Biden underscored that the United States’ one China policy remains unchanged, guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the three Joint Communiques, and the Six Assurances,” the White House statement reads.

“He [Biden] reiterated that the United States opposes any unilateral changes to the status quo from either side, that we expect cross-Strait differences to be resolved by peaceful means, and that the world has an interest in peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.”

American journalist, lawyer, political commentator, and writer Gordan Chang wrote in an op-ed for Newsweek on Monday that South America had “disrespected” the U.S. and Biden at the APEC summit, and was in stark contrast to how Xi was welcomed.

“Peru gave Xi Jinping a warm welcome last week when he arrived for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Lima,” Chang said, adding, “The Chinese leader was even accorded the honor of a state visit. Joe Biden, in contrast, got a bare-bones greeting as Air Force One landed.”

“Peru then proceeded to treat the American president as if he were from a backwater state, even making sure the humiliation was seen in public. For instance, in the group photo of leaders attending the summit, Xi was standing in the place of honor, to the right of Peruvian President Dina Boluarte in the front row. Biden was placed in the back in the corner.”

Chang then noted in the midst of the disrespect from South American nations toward the U.S., often seen as America’s “backyard,” China is trading and investing into nations like Peru to bolster its “dominance of the region.”

As we can see from #Peru’s repeated humiliation of #JoeBiden in #Lima, #SouthAmerica is #China’s “backyard,” not #America’s: https://t.co/ZwnfdFThtu. @bungarsargon @NewsweekOpinion

— Gordon G. Chang (@GordonGChang) November 18, 2024

Chang was also critical of Xi’s rhetoric of peace, a move he says began prior to the elections, as an attempt by Xi to paint Trump as a bad guy.

#China’s turn toward peace, first evident just before our elections, is due to both internal factors and one very important external one: #Trump. #XiJinping believes he can paint the incoming president as a disrupter. #Xi can’t do that if he is disrupting the world himself.

— Gordon G. Chang (@GordonGChang) November 18, 2024

During the summit, Biden further expressed concern over China’s support for Russia’s war against Ukraine, and reconfirmed the U.S. commitment on “upholding international law and freedom of navigation, overflight, and peace and stability in the South China Sea and East China Sea.”

China is currently at odds with several nations within the South China Sea, which China also claims almost in its entirety using its highly contested nine-dash line maps. One of those nations is the Philippines, a U.S. ally.

Recent months have seen clashes between the Philippine Coast Guard and Chinese Coast Guard vessels, with China aggressively ramming Philippine ships and damaging hulls, as well as attacking Filipino Coast Guard officers with spears and axes.

Conflict has been escalating over the ownership of Spratly Islands and its shoals, rich fishing grounds with recently discovered oil and gas reserves situated within the economic exclusion zone of the Philippines.

4 #Filipinos hurt after 2 #China Coast Guard ships use water cannons on PH Ayungin resupply vessel, shattering the wind shield of the ship on March 5.pic.twitter.com/S6aATJTJmU

— Indo-Pacific News – Geo-Politics & Defense (@IndoPac_Info) March 5, 2024

New: Philippine ships “encountered dangerous maneuvers & obstruction from 4x China Coast Guard & 6x Chinese Maritime Militia vessels.”

The CCG “employed jet stream water cannons, targeting the PCG vessel from both sides, resulting in damage.”@jaytaryelapic.twitter.com/h2wIstvcoN

— Ian Ellis (@ianellisjones) April 30, 2024

China’s Coast Guard rammed the Philippine Coast Guard’s BRP Teresa Magbanua in Sabina/Eacoda Shoal, as the PH ship was anchored to reaffirm PH control of the shoal.

China’s actions show intent to take over the shoal & remove the PH ship as they also brought tug boats to tow it. pic.twitter.com/KHoipTlKpR

— Indo-Pacific News – Geo-Politics & Defense (@IndoPac_Info) August 31, 2024

Despite the repeated attacks against Philippine vessels, China took offense to the Philippines’ intention to purchase weapons from the U.S., which would include anti-missile and intermediate-range missile systems.

China’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian said Thursday the move by the Philippines is “provocative” and “dangerous.”

“Let me stress again that the Philippines, by bringing in this offensive strategic weapon, is enabling a country outside the region to fuel tensions and antagonism in this region, and incite geopolitical confrontation and arms race,” Lin said.

Lin noted this is an “extremely irresponsible choice” by the Philippines and threatens regional security.

“What the region needs is peace and prosperity, not the missile system or confrontation. We once again urge the Philippines to heed the call from regional countries and their peoples, correct its wrongdoings as soon as possible, quickly pull out the Typhon missile system as publicly pledged, and stop going further down the wrong path,” Lin said.

On Monday when asked about the Philippine military and U.S. intelligence exchanging information, Lin stated the only way to uphold peace in the region was to maintain “good-neighborliness.”

“No military agreement, or defense and security cooperation, in whatever form, should target any third party or harm the interests of any third party. Nor should it undermine regional peace or exacerbate regional tensions. The only right choice for safeguarding national security and regional peace and stability is to uphold good-neighborliness and friendship and maintain strategic independence,” Lin said.