Biden, Xi to hold fifth talk of their presidencies Thursday

By CHRIS MEGERIAN
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping are set to hold the fifth talk of their presidencies on Thursday morning amid rising tensions. Their conversation will be their first since March, shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Relations between the two countries have been strained by talk of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s potential trip to Taiwan. The island governs itself but China considers it part of its territory. John Kirby, a spokesman for the National Security Council, told reporters on Wednesday that it’s important that “the lines of communication with President Xi remain open.”