TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — During his four-hour meeting with President Joe Biden on Wednesday (Nov. 15), Chinese leader Xi Jinping (習近平) said Taiwan is the "most important and sensitive issue," but reportedly denied there is a plan to invade Taiwan in 2027
A senior U.S. official was cited by Reuters as saying that during the meeting, Xi expressed Beijing's preference for peaceful annexation of Taiwan. Xi also laid out the conditions under which force would be employed against Taiwan, but the official did not specify what these were.
Biden reportedly responded by reiterating Washington's long-held "determination to maintain peace and stability." However, Xi replied, "Look, peace is ... all well and good but at some point, we need to move towards resolution more generally," according to the official.
A senior administration official was cited by VOA as saying that Xi denied any near-term plans to use force against Taiwan. Xi said he had heard various reports from the U.S. that China is planning military action against Taiwan in 2027 or 2035, said the official.
The official said that there was a hint of irritation in Xi's remarks on the subject. According to the source, Xi then basically claimed that there was no such plan and no one had informed him about it.
Biden and Xi held their first face-to-face meeting in a year at the Filoli Estate, 40 km south of San Francisco amid the APEC Leader's Meeting.