President Biden, Xi Jinping To Have First In-Person Summit

No details of the summit disclosed yet...

For the first time, US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping will gather for a face-to-face summit ahead phone call Thursday where Xi warned the United States not to "play with fire" in Taiwan.

Although this was their fifth phone or video call since Biden took office a year and a half ago, the summit would be their first in-person meeting as leaders. No details of the summit have been disclosed yet.

Biden and Xi "discussed the value of meeting face-to-face and agreed to have their teams follow up to find a mutually agreeable time to do so," a US official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Taking notes from the recent phone call, which lasted two hours and 17 minutes, as a robust exchange on the many disputes between the world's two biggest economic powers.

China's state-run Xinhua agency, the Chinese President delivered harsh words on US policy towards Taiwan, a democratic island with close ties to the United States but which China considers part of its territory.

"Those who play with fire will eventually get burned," Xi was quoted as telling Biden, repeating language he employed when they spoke last November. "I hope the US side fully understands that."

Tensions around Taiwan are alarming amid fears that Xi could ultimately order an invasion to impose Beijing's rule.

In the latest flashpoint, Chinese authorities are furious at unconfirmed plans by Biden ally and speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, to visit the island.

Despite all, US officials frequently visit Taiwan, separated by a narrow strip of water from the Chinese mainland, Beijing considers a Pelosi trip a provocation. She's second in line to the US presidency and given her position may travel with military transport.

On Wednesday, China warned that Washington will "bear the consequences" if the trip goes ahead.

During the call, Xi was quoted as telling Biden "the position of the Chinese government and people on the Taiwan issue is consistent."