G7 leaders outlined a shared approach to \u201cde-risk, not decouple\u201d economic engagement with China
\n HIROSHIMA
\nUS President Joe Biden on Sunday said the Group of Seven nations had agreed a united approach to China that called for diversifying supply chains to reduce dependence on one country, and hinted that he could speak with China\u2019s president soon.
\n\u201cWe\u2019re not looking to decouple from China. We\u2019re looking to de-risk and diversify our relationship with China,\u201d Biden told a press conference after a three-day summit with G7 leaders. He said G7 nations were more unified than ever in terms of \u201cresisting economic coercion together and countering harmful practices that hurt our workers.\u201d
\nG7 leaders outlined a shared approach to \u201cde-risk, not decouple\u201d economic engagement with China in a Saturday communique, prompting China\u2019s embassy in Japan to urged the G7 to stop creating confrontation and division.
\nDespite the reaction, Biden said he expected a thaw in frosty relations with China \u201cvery shortly\u201d after strains caused by an incident earlier this year when the United States shot down a Chinese balloon that flew over sensitive military sites.
\n\u201cWe should have an open hotline,\u201d Biden said. He said he had agreed with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia last year to keep communications open, but everything changed after \u201cthis silly balloon that was carrying two freight cars worth of spying equipment.\u201d
\nBiden suggested a shift in U.S.-China relations could occur soon, echoing his comment to reporters before his departure.
\n\u201cIn terms of talking with them, I think you\u2019re going to see that thaw very shortly,\u201d Biden said.
\nOn the issue of tensions between China and Taiwan, Biden said there was a clear understanding among most of the allies that if China were to act unilaterally against the self-governed island Taiwan, there would be a response.
\n\u201cWe\u2019re not going to tell China what they can do,\u201d he said, \u201cBut in the meantime we\u2019re going to put Taiwan in a position where they can defend themselves.\u201d
\nTaiwan\u2019s President Tsai Ing-wen vowed on Saturday to maintain the status quo of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait amid high tensions with China, which has stepped up military pressure on the democratically governed island.
\nBiden reiterated that the United States and G7 allies would not trade in materials that would allow China to build weapons of mass destruction, but insisted that was \u201cnot a hostile act.\u201d
\nHe said he would not considering easing restrictions on China on those materials, but it was under negotiation whether to ease sanctions on Chinese General Li Shangfu, who was named in March as China\u2019s new defense minister.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
G7 leaders outlined a shared approach to \u201cde-risk, not decouple\u201d economic engagement with China HIROSHIMA US President Joe Biden on Sunday said the Group of Seven nations had agreed a united approach to China that called for diversifying supply chains to reduce dependence on one country, and hinted that he could speak with China\u2019s president […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":310981,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-332638","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n