Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby

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MR. KIRBY: As you all know, President Biden spoke by phone today with President Xi — Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China. The purpose of the call was to build on the two leaders’ meeting in Woodside, California, back in November of last year.

Over the course of about an hour and 45 minutes, the two leaders held a candid and constructive discussion on a range of bilateral, regional, and global issues, including areas of cooperation and areas of differences. They encouraged continued progress on issues discussed at the Woodside Summit, including counternarcotics cooperation, ongoing military-to-military communications, talks to address artificial-intelligence-related risks, and continuing efforts on climate change and people-to-people exchanges.

President Biden also emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and he reaffirmed the importance of the rule of law and freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.

He raised concerns over the PRC’s support for Russia’s defense industrial base and its impact on European and transatlantic security. And he emphasized that the United States’s — he emphasized the U.S.’s enduring commitment to the complete denu- — denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

President Biden also raised continued concerns about the PRC’s unfair trade policies and non-market economic practices, which harm American workers and families.

President Biden also emphasized that the United States will continue to take necessary action to prevent advanced U.S. technologies from being used to undermine our national security, without unduly limiting trade and investment.

The President also repeated his call for China to release U.S. citizens who are wrongfully detained or under exit bans.

Now, we believe that there is no substitute for regular communication at the leader level to effectively manage this complex and often tense bilateral relationship, and both presidents agreed to pick up the phone and speak when needed.

Following the leaders’ call, we will continue to advance our interests through Cabinet-level diplomacy, including visits to China by Secretary of the Treasury Yellen and in coming days — I’m sorry, in coming days — and by Secretary Blinken in coming weeks.

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Q One quick question on — on China. What was the President’s message to the President when it comes to Chinese misinformation campaigns or any effort by the Chinese government or people associated with the Chinese government to interfere with the 2024 election?

MR. KIRBY: I would just say that we’ve been clear consistently, even going back to the November meeting in California, about our concerns over our own election security and — and efforts by certain actors, including some from the PRC, to — to affect that.

Q So, there was no new message in this conversation?

MR. KIRBY: I don’t have a new message to read out to you today.

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Q And finally, if I may, just on China. You said that the two leaders made a commitment to pick up the phone and call each other when needed. I’m curious —

MR. KIRBY: When is the next one?

Q No, I’m curious why it was needed now. Why not next week, next month? Was there a particular catalyst that they needed to have this phone call —

MR. KIRBY: No. No, no —

Q — today?

MR. KIRBY: — not at all. I mean, they met, again, in November. And the teams have been working a lot since November on fentanyl precursors, on climate change, on economic practices. So, there’s been — on artificial intelligence. There’s been a lot of staff-level work. And both presidents thought that now, a few months later, this was a good time to kind of check in with one another, see how that’s going, discuss the future.

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Q John, the call with President Xi. Did the two leaders speak about Section 301 tariffs? And any specific —

MR. KIRBY: It did not come up.

Q It did not come up. But if you could just speak more about the economic nature of the conversation. Did they speak about competition in specific industries, like semiconductors?

MR. KIRBY: Yes, they did talk about economic competition between our two countries. And as I said in my opening statement, the President made clear that we have significant differences of opinion and concerns over some unfair market practices that the PRC uses that puts American workers and families at a disadvantage. He was very clear about that.

Q And just to follow up on Nancy’s question. Are we clear to understand that the President did not warn President Xi about election interference? That was — it felt like that was what you were implying.

MR. KIRBY: It — it —

Q Or is it there was no new message?

MR. KIRBY: It — there was no new message today delivered on that.

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Q Thank you. Two questions on China. Admiral, this is an election year. Does the President feel political pressure to act tough on China?

MR. KIRBY: The President, as Commander-in-Chief, feels obligated and responsible for protecting the national security interests of the United States. And much of his conversation with President Xi this morning — which was candid and constructive, very professional and businesslike — was arranged around those priorities that President Biden holds so seriously.

Q Is TikTok part of the conversation part today?

MR. KIRBY: TikTok came up today, yes.

Q Have you talked to previous Secretary Mnuchin about his plan to buy it without the algor- — algorithm? Or do you accept this plan?

MR. KIRBY: Have we talked to Mr. Mnuchin about his — no, not that I’m aware of. I mean, that — he — he should to speak to that as a private businessman.

Q Can you share more details about the conversation on TikTok?

MR. KIRBY: The President reiterated our concerns about the ow- — the ownership of TikTok. He made it clear to President Xi that this was not about ban of the application, but rather our interest in divestiture so that the national security interests and the — the data security of the American people can be protected.

Q Have you made progress?

MR. KIRBY: Is there progress?

Q On the deal to —

MR. KIRBY: I — I know of no progress on — on that. As far as I know, legislation hasn’t reached his desk, and it’s — it’s still on Capitol Hill.

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Q Thanks, Karine. Just to follow up on the TikTok question. The President brought it up with President Xi.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: President Xi. Yeah, he did.

Q Has he also raised the issue with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer? Because the bill is — hasn’t been taken up by the Senate. I mean, that’s where it is held up. Has he conveyed those same concerns about ownership, about, you know, divestiture, like, to — to Schumer?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, we are in regular communication, this administration is, with leaders of Congress, including Senator Schumer — Leader Schumer and others. And so, I don’t have a specific readout to — to give you about the President’s conversation on this particular issue.

As — as my colleague — as the Admiral said, TikTok did come up and was raised on the call with President Xi. I think that’s important. The President has always been very clear about his concerns, and he’s been very public about that.

There is a real threat po- — posed by certain technology services, and so — operating in the United States that put at risk Americans’ personal information and broader national security. He’s been very clear about that, including the manipulation.

So, he’s been public about it. He brought it up with President Xi. This is an issue, certainly, that we will continue to have that discussion. I just don’t have anything specific to read out to you with any conversations with members of Congress —

Q Does he want —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: — on the President — on the President’s schedule.

Q Does he want the Senate Majority Leader to bring the bill to the floor?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: We have said we support that bill. We welcome that bill. We do not see it as a ban, right? We see it as a divestment. We’ve been very clear about that as well. And we welcome that bill. So, we want it to go through the process.

We’ve been offering technical support of you — as you’ve heard us speak to before. You’ve heard the National Security Advisor speak to this very recently, the last time he was at the podium. You’ve heard me say that.

And so, we’re going to continue to provide technical support. We’re going to continue to have conversations with members of Congress. I don’t have any — don’t have anything else to share beyond that.

Okay. Go ahead.

Q So, during the call, did President talk to President Xi about supplying components to Russia to enhance their defense industrial base?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, we’ve always been very clear, and the President did raise that we are deeply concerned, obviously, about the PRC’s support for Russia’s war against Ukraine and its efforts to help Russia reconstitute its defense industrial base. That came up.

I’m not going to go beyond that. But that did come up on the call.

Okay. Go ahead, Selina.

Q Thanks, Karine. Is there anything you can say about President Xi Jinping’s reaction to all of the concerns that Biden laid out?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I would let President Xi speak for himself. I’m not going to respond to him — for him.

Q Any color about the tone of the conversation?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I — you — there’s a readout of the call. I’m not going to get into — get into reactions, personal reactions. I will let President Xi speak for himself.

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Source: The White House

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