Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden held the 5th phone call of their presidencies against the backdrop of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi potentially planning a visit to the self-governed Taiwan, which is claimed by China.

The call lasted two hours and 17 minutes, according to the White House.

“The conversation between the two about Taiwan, it was direct and it was honest”, a US official said.

Chinese state media reported that Xi warned Biden against “playing with fire” over Taiwan, with him saying that the US should follow the “one-China principle” as Chinese authorities were strongly opposed to Taiwan’s independence as well as the interference of any external forces.

“Those who play with fire will only get burnt. [We] hope the US side can see this clearly”, - state media quote Xi as warning Biden.

A statement by the White House said President Biden was committed to the United States’ policy on Taiwan and strongly opposed unilateral efforts to undermine the peace and stability between the island-state and China.

According to the press statement, the two presidents spoke on “a range of issues important to the bilateral relationship and other regional and global issues”.