Biden does not believe China has ‘imminent’ plans to invade Taiwan

Joe Biden has said he does not believe China has any "imminent" plans to invade Taiwan, but objected to its "coercive and increasingly aggressive actions" toward the island in his first in-person meeting with Xi Jinping since they became leaders.

Speaking after they met on Monday at a luxury resort hotel in Bali, Indonesia, where they are attending the G20 summit, Biden said he and the Chinese leader had been "candid and clear" with each other on subjects ranging from Taiwan to trade.

The meeting, which lasted more than three hours, was seen as an attempt to reduce tensions that have brought US-China relations to their lowest ebb in decades.

Biden said he "absolutely believes" that a new cold war with China can be avoided, adding that he did not believe there was any "imminent attempt on the part of China to invade Taiwan".

"I made it clear that our policy on Taiwan has not changed at all," Biden, who was nursing a mild cold, told reporters. "It's the same exact position we have always had. I made it clear that I want to see cross-trade issues peacefully resolved so that it never has to come to that. I'm convinced that he understood exactly what I was saying, and I understood what he was saying."

He added: "We oppose unilateral changes in the status quo by either side and we are committed to maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

"It was also clear that the United States and China should be able to work together where we can. To solve global challenges requires every nation to do its part. We discussed Russia's aggression against Ukraine and reaffirmed our shared belief that the threat or use of nuclear weapons is totally unacceptable."