Joe Biden and Xi Jinping talk after 7 months to try to ease tensions

Relations between the United States and China have been particularly tense in recent months. Washington has accused Beijing of massive hacks and of not respecting the human rights of certain sectors of the country, such as the Uighur minority. China, for its part, has condemned "racism and economic inequality" in the United States. In addition to these criticisms, there is also the trade war initiated by former president Donald Trump. The current president, Joe Biden, has followed in the footsteps of his predecessor by banning US investments in Chinese technology companies.

With disputes between the two countries escalating, Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping have held a seven-month-old conversation to try to de-escalate tensions. Biden has focused on how to prevent their confrontation from "escalating into conflict", while Jinping warned that "if China and the United States clash, both countries and the rest of the world will suffer".  

According to the White House, the two leaders "discussed their responsibility to ensure that competition does not escalate into conflict". Also, during the approximately 90-minute conversation, they addressed issues where their "interests converge" and issues where "interests, perspectives and values diverge".

"They agreed to engage on both sets of issues openly and directly. This conversation, as President Biden made clear, was part of the United States' continuing effort to responsibly manage the competition between the United States and the People's Republic of China," the White House said.

Chinese media, meanwhile, reported that the phone conversation was "sincere" and "profound". Also, according to Chinese state media Xinhua, Jinping assured Biden that US policy towards China had caused "serious difficulties" in their relations. "If China and the United States work together, the world will also benefit," Jinping said. The Chinese president has pledged to maintain dialogue to promote "coordination and cooperation" between the two powers.

Biden, who made the decision to call his counterpart, stressed "America's enduring interest in peace, stability and prosperity" in the Indo-Pacific. It is precisely in the Indo-Pacific that the US has begun to develop military plans and operations to counter Chinese expansion in the region. These moves have further heightened tensions between Washington and Beijing in recent months.

"After the withdrawal in Afghanistan, the US is refining its approach in Southeast Asia," says Julie McCarthy, US public radio's Asia correspondent. 

US Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin have recently visited Asian countries such as Singapore, Vietnam and the Philippines to strengthen the US position in the region. With Hanoi, for example, they pledged to increase military cooperation to deal with the territorial confrontation with China. Beijing criticised these moves as interference "in China's internal affairs". It also accused Washington of sowing discord among countries in the region in order to serve its own geopolitical interests.

Afghanistan has also caused disputes between the two powers. Beijing has repeatedly condemned the US's precipitous withdrawal from the country. The Chinese foreign ministry has also claimed that US troops have caused "serious harm to the Afghan people". 

The international community is watching developments in US-China relations with concern. Both powers have large arms capabilities, and a direct confrontation would have global consequences. The current situation between the two powers has already been dubbed the "new Cold War" because of its similarities to that historical era.