BEIJING, 20 March 2022, (TON): Chinese President Xi Jinping told his US counterpart Joe Biden that the Taiwan issue needs to be handled properly to avoid a negative impact on Sino-US relations, according to Chinese media.

China says Taiwan, which it views as a breakaway province to be brought back to the fold, by force if necessary, is the most sensitive and important issue in its relations with the United States.

Washington, which is seeking Beijing’s help in restoring peace in Ukraine after Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion, has no formal diplomatic ties with Taipei but is Taiwan’s most important international backer and arms supplier.

Xi told Biden on a video call “some individuals in the United States are sending the wrong signals to pro-independence forces in Taiwan, and that’s very dangerous.”

“If the Taiwan issue is not handled properly, it will have a subversive impact on the relationship between the two countries.”

China sailed its aircraft carrier Shandong through the Taiwan Strait, shadowed by a US destroyer, on Friday, a source with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters, just hours before the Chinese and US presidents were due to talk.

A White House statement said Biden reiterated in the call with Xi that US policy on Taiwan has not changed, and emphasized that Washington “continues to oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo.”