Chinese Journalist Hu Xijin: Xi's Meeting With Biden Was A Success, Shows Mutual Desire To Cool Tensions; Taiwan Remains A Red Line For China

Hu Xijin, the Editor-in-Chief of the state-owned Chinese newspaper The Global Times, said in an English-language video that was uploaded to The Global Times YouTube channel on November 17, 2021 that he thinks the virtual meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping was a success, and that both sides showed earnestness, a desire to cool tensions, and a desire to build some mutual trust. Xijin emphasized that the issue of Taiwan is a red line for China, and that China's statement with regard to it contained a strongly worded warning.

Hu Xijin: "I think the virtual meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden was a success. As there are serious divergences between China and the US, we cannot expect a meeting to resolve them all. However, we did see that both sides took this meeting earnestly and showed a clear willingness to deal with their differences and to cool tensions. While each side stuck to their own views, they also demonstrated the signal not to press each other. I think that things like these are absent in China-US relations. For some time, China and the US have engaged in dialogues of strength and actions, without any mutual trust. This virtual meeting marks an attempt to change the way they communicated.

"Today's meeting also showed that the Taiwan question is indeed the most volatile one between China and the US. China's statement was more strongly worded on this issue, citing 'some people in the US' and saying that 'play with fire and you will get burned.' It also stated that if 'Taiwan independence' secessionists continue their provocation and coercion, or even cross the red line, the Chinese mainland will have to take drastic measures. I want to say that the Taiwan question is the ultimate red line of China, and the US has to take it very seriously."