But the call also followed Biden's trip to the Pentagon to announce a China task force, as military tensions build between the two powers. Official media in Beijing played up the call as a show of respect for Xi — underscoring the domestic political dimension of US relations. For domestic and strategic reasons, Biden is carving out a brusque persona when it comes to China. With US and Chinese planes and aircraft carriers at close quarters in the South China Sea, that's important. It would seem unfair for me to be really happy about it, and running around with no mask and a big t-shirt saying, 'I'm vaccinated!'

Source: CNN February 16, 2021 01:52 UTC