Team Biden Reportedly Aims To Paint Xi Jinping As 'Recalcitrant' If He Refuses To Engage In Talks

President Joe Biden‘s administration is pushing for a series of meetings and phone calls to make it harder for Beijing to refuse engagement. The U.S. strategy aims to ease tensions with China and label President Xi Jinping as a recalcitrant if he declines.

What Happened: Anonymous people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg that team Biden is approaching the situation, which includes proposals of meetings and calls from various levels, up to a potential conversation between President Biden and Xi, which has been stalled for months.

The strategy also aims to appease the concerns of U.S. Asia and Europe allies, who are worried that Washington is not taking sufficient action to reduce tensions that could potentially escalate into a full-blown crisis, the report added.

It could portray the U.S. as subservient, seeking the favor of a powerful adversary, the sources acknowledged. It has already received skepticism from critics of the Biden administration, who caution that it could undermine America's image.

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Evan Medeiros, former senior director for Asia on the Obama National Security Council, said, "This is a smart but risky play."

"It looks credible to Europe and Asia. But it also risks reinforcing China's view that we need them more and they can drive the US-China agenda."

Why It Matters: In recent years, tensions between the U.S. and China have increased amid Biden's support for Taiwan. President Xi Jinping's official mouthpiece on Tuesday also slammed the U.S. for “arming Taiwan to the teeth.”

China's Foreign Minister Qin Gang on Monday told U.S. Ambassador Nicholas Burns that Washington must correct its handling of the Taiwan issue and stop the hollowing out of the “one China” principle.

See Also: Xi Jinping's Envoy Calls For Stability In US-China Relations To ‘Prevent Any Accidents'