Biden talks of 'unfair economic practices' in call with Xi

Washington

JOE Biden, in his first conversation as US president with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, spoke of his concern about China's "coercive and unfair economic practices" as well as human rights abuses in the Xinjiang region, according to a White House account of their telephone call.

Mr Biden also expressed misgivings about the country's growing restrictions on political freedoms in Hong Kong and "increasingly assertive actions in the region, including toward Taiwan" in the call, which took place on Thursday morning Beijing time.