U.S. President Joe Biden speaks virtually with Chinese leader Xi Jinping from the White House in Washington, U.S. November 15, 2021.
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks virtually with Chinese leader Xi Jinping from the White House in Washington, U.S. November 15, 2021. Reuters / JONATHAN ERNST

U.S. President Joe Biden plans to speak with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, within the coming days at a moment of simmering tensions between the countries.

"I think I'll be talking to President Xi within the next 10 days," Biden told reporters as he returned from a climate-related trip to Massachusetts.

The long-planned call between the two leaders would come at a crucial moment given ongoing tensions over the status of Taiwan and as the Biden administration weighs a sharp reduction in tariffs on goods imported from China to help reduce inflation pressures on American consumers.

Biden cast doubt on a trip reportedly planned by House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi to visit Taiwan next month, saying, "I think that the military thinks it's not a good idea right now, but I don't know what the status of it is."