President Xi Jinping told his US counterpart Joe Biden on Thursday that "those who play with fire will eventually get burned," as the two discussed China-US relations and issues of mutual interest, according to reports by Xinhua.

In a video call, the state leader reiterated that China firmly opposes both any form of secession directed towards "Taiwan independence" and any external interference in China's affairs.

Xinhua said he also stressed that the US and China should maintain co-operation on matters including macroeconomic policy, keeping global supply chains stable, and protecting global energy and food security, and thereby avoid making the China-US relationship one of strategic competition.

Attempts at economic "decoupling" would not help boost the US or the global economy, Xi is reported to have said.

The virtual summit between the leaders lasted more than two hours and was described by both sides as "candid." They agreed to stay in touch and maintain communication.

A White House readout of the call said Biden had stipulated that the United States' "one-China" policy had not changed.

On the same matter, Xi was quoted as saying: "The position of the Chinese government and people on the Taiwan issue is consistent. It is the firm will of the over 1.4 billion Chinese people to firmly safeguard China's national sovereignty and territorial integrity."

Rumours have swirled in recent weeks that the speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi – a Biden ally – plans to visit Taiwan next month. Beijing would consider such a visit to be a major provocation and warned on Wednesday that Washington would "bear the consequences" if the visit goes ahead.

The phone conversation was the fifth time the two leaders have spoken since Biden took office at the start of last year. There have been no face-to-face meetings.

"The call was a part of the Biden Administration’s efforts to maintain and deepen lines of communication between the United States and the PRC and responsibly manage our differences and work together where our interests align," the White House said. (Xinhua, Reuters)