US Vice President Joe Biden anticipates a “shortly” change in US-China relations.

On Sunday, US President Joe Biden said the Group of Seven countries had agreed on a coordinated strategy toward China that called for diversifying supply chains to lessen dependency on one country, and he made a suggestion that he may soon meet with the president of China.

“We don’t want to sever ties with China. Biden said at a press conference that the G7 countries were more united than ever in their efforts to “resist economic coercion together and counter harmful practices that hurt our workers.” We are aiming to de-risk and diversify our relationship with China.

However, the US President said he anticipated a thaw in chilly ties with China “very shortly” following stresses brought on by an incident earlier this year when the US shot down a Chinese balloon that flew over key military locations. This was speaking after a three-day conference of G7 leaders.

Biden remarked, “We should have a 24/7 hotline.” He said that while he and Chinese President Xi Jinping had agreed to maintain lines of communication open at the G20 conference in Bali, Indonesia, last year, things changed after “this silly loon that was carrying two freight cars worth of spying equipment.”

In a similar vein to what he said to media before to his departure, Biden predicted a change in US-China ties in the near future. “In terms of talking with them, I think you’regoing to see that thaw veryshortly,” added Biden.

Regarding the topic of tensions between China and Taiwan, Biden said that the majority of the allies had a clear understanding that if China were to take unilateral action against Taiwan, there would be a response.But in the meanwhile, we’re going to put Taiwan in a position where they can defend themselves, he added, “We’re not going to tell China when they can do.”

Biden reaffirmed that the US and G7 partners would not trade in resources that might enable China to construct weapons of mass destruction, but it was “not a hostile act”. He said that he would not think about loosening China’s limitations on certain goods, but that the issue of loosening sanctions against Chinese General Li Shangfu, who was appointed China’s new defense minister in March, was still up for discussion.

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