TMTPost -- In their first phone call since they met in-person in California last November, Chinese President Xi Jinping and the U.S. President Joseph Biden agreed on more high-level communication and cooperation in various areas including artificial intelligence (AI), the game-changing technology.

Credit：Xinhua News Agency

President Xi and his counterpart found the phone call to be candid and constructive as the two presidents had a candid and in-depth exchange of views on China-U.S. relations and issues of mutual interest, the state media Xinhua News Agency reported late Tuesday. Xi stressed that the issue of strategic perception is always fundamental to the China-U.S. relationship, just like the first button of a shirt that must be put right. Two big countries like China and the United States should not cut off their ties or turn their back on each other, still less slide into conflict or confrontation. The two countries should respect each other, coexist in peace and pursue win-win cooperation. The relationship should continue moving forward in a stable, sound and sustainable way, rather than going backward.

Xi underlined three overarching principles that should guide China-U.S. relations this year: First, peace must be valued; Second, stability must be prioritized; Third, credibility must be upheld. Xi stressed that the Taiwan question is the first red line that must not be crossed in China-U.S. relations. He urged Washington to translate President Biden's commitment of not supporting "Taiwan independence" into concrete actions.

Xi noted the U.S. government has adopted a string of measures to suppress China's trade and technology development, and is adding more and more Chinese entities to its sanctions lists. He called such attempt not “de-risking”, but creating risks. If the U.S. is willing to seek mutually beneficial cooperation and share in China's development dividends, it will always find China's door open; but if it is adamant on containing China's hi-tech development and depriving China of its legitimate right to development, China is not going to sit back and watch, Xi cautioned.

President Biden noted that the U.S.-China relationship is the most consequential relationship in the world. He reiterated that the United States does not seek a new Cold War, its objective is not to change China's system, its alliances are not targeted against China, the U.S. does not support "Taiwan independence," and the U.S. does not seek conflict with China. The president said U.S. does not want to curtail China's development, and does not seek "decoupling" from China. He said the U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Secretary of State Antony Blinken would be sent to visit China shortly to strengthen dialogue and communication, avoid miscalculation and promote cooperation, so as to advance the relationship on a stable path and jointly respond to global challenges. China welcomed visits by Treasury Secretary Yellen and Secretary of State Blinken in the near future, Xinhua reported.

According to the report, the two leaders agreed to stay in communication, and tasked their teams to deliver on the San Francisco vision they opened during their meet last November, including advancing the consultation mechanisms on diplomatic, economic, financial, commercial and other issues as well as mil-to-mil communication, carrying out dialogue and cooperation in such areas as counter-narcotics, AI and climate response, taking further steps to expand people-to-people exchanges, and enhancing communication on international and regional issues.

The two presidents held a candid and constructive discussion on a range of bilateral, regional, and global issues, encouraged progress on key issues discussed last November, including counternarcotics cooperation, ongoing military-to-military communication, talks to address AI-related risks, and continuing efforts on climate change and people-to-people exchanges, according to a readout by the White House on Tuesday. President Biden emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. He also emphasized that the United States will continue to take necessary actions to prevent advanced U.S. technologies from being used to undermine our national security, without unduly limiting trade and investment.  The two leaders welcomed ongoing efforts to maintain open channels of communication and responsibly manage the relationship through high-level diplomacy and working-level consultations in the weeks and months ahead, including during upcoming visits by Secretary Yellen and Secretary Blinken.