WASHINGTON—President Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping held a phone meeting facing an array of friction-filled issues, as a possible trip to Taiwan by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi threatens to add new tensions to severely strained relations.
For the two leaders, the virtual meeting Thursday was their fifth since Mr. Biden took office. Their last conversation, in March, was dominated by Russia’s military assault on Ukraine with questions about Beijing’s partnership with Moscow. Officials on both sides see such meetings as an effective, potentially stabilizing channel, given that Messrs. Biden and Xi have known each other for more than a decade since they both served as vice presidents.