VP Harris, China's Xi meet to 'keep lines of communication open'

Chinese President Xi Jinping met briefly with Vice President Kamala Harris Saturday as both nations look to "keep lines of communication open."

The meeting occurred on the sidelines of an economic forum in Bangkok – at the request of the vice president, China says – just days after President Biden and Xi met in their first in-person meeting since Biden entered the Oval Office. 

Details on what the pair discussed were minimal but one White House spokesperson said, "The Vice President noted a key message that President Biden emphasized in his November 14 meeting with President Xi: we must maintain open lines of communication to responsibly manage the competition between our countries."

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According to a readout from China’s Ministry of Foreign affairs the meeting was described as a "success" and Beijing "hopes" Harris will play a "positive role" as the U.S. and China look to ease tensions.

Geopolitical strife between Washington and Beijing has been high in recent years and the U.S. listed China as its chief threat in the Pentagon’s latest National Defense Strategy in October. 

Xi described his meeting with Biden as "strategic and constructive" and said it "carries important significance in guiding China-U.S. relations going forward."

"He expressed the hope that the two sides will further increase mutual understanding, reduce misperception and miscalculation, and work together to bring China-U.S. relations back on the track of healthy and steady development," the ministry added referring to Xi’s chat with Harris. 

According to the White House on Monday, Biden raised concerns over China’s overtly aggressive posture towards Taiwan and said the "world has an interest in the maintenance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait."

It is unclear how Xi responded to this direct concern, but on Saturday the Taiwanese defense ministry said its troops were prepared on all three air, sea and land arenas after China once again deployed warplanes and naval vessels that crossed into the island’s air defense identification zone. 

Mumford & Sons co-founder defends J.K. Rowling: 'It's disgusting' what Harry Potter actors said about her

Former Mumford & Sons banjo player and co-founder Winston Marshall said there was one "canceled" celebrity for whom he felt particular compassion before he too had been targeted by the cancel culture mob.

"Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling lost several friends in the industry after defending the concept of biological sex. 

"If sex isn’t real, there’s no same-sex attraction," Rowling tweeted in 2020. "If sex isn’t real, the lived reality of women globally is erased. I know and love trans people, but erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives. It isn’t hate to speak the truth."

She has also signaled her "contempt" for those supporting gender-focused policies that "endanger extremely vulnerable girls." 

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Progressives and prominent figures have condemned her for her remarks, including some "Harry Potter" cast members. The star of the franchise, Daniel Radcliffe, dedicated a blog post against Rowling's comments in order to stand with trans and queer kids who he said may have identified with his wizard character.

"And so seeing them hurt on that day I was like, I wanted them to know that not everybody in the franchise felt that way. And that was really important," Radcliffe wrote, while also warning the press against trying to depict his post as proof of "infighting" between him and Rowling.

Marshall is no stranger to cancel culture. The musician was the target of online hate last year after tweeting his support for a book by conservative author Andy Ngo on the left-wing radicalism of Antifa, entitled, "Unmasked: Inside Antifa’s Radical Plan to Destroy Democracy." But he said his compassion toward Rowling began well before his own painful experience.

"I had sympathy beforehand," Marshall said of Rowling's plight in an interview with Fox News Digital. "Because I think it’s outrageous what happened to her. The level of misogyny that she’s had to endure. It’s despicable. If it doesn’t make your blood boil, that says a lot about you, I think."

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The musician described Rowling as pro-woman and an LGBT ally, and in other pointed remarks he shaded the "Harry Potter" cast whom Rowling helped launch to stardom.

"She said nothing transphobic," Marshall maintained. "All she's done is stick up for women. It's appalling. The amount she's done for gays and lesbians in her history and philanthropic history is remarkable. The fact that she has to put up with this is outrageous. And it's disgusting that those other actors who she gave a career to speak about her like they do. It's embarrassing, frankly." 

Marshall took the opportunity to share his opinion of puberty blockers, medicines that prevent puberty, and progressive efforts that have "bullied" girls out of school sports, in his view.

"It's a very difficult position for any of these artists to be into," he said. "It's a very painful experience, losing it all just for having wrong opinions, having perfectly legitimate opinions, you know? In fact, I would say compassionate opinions, these issues. She cares about women, for example. She cares about children, look what they're doing to children, putting the children on puberty blockers, irreversible surgery." 

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"These children are going to be made sterile," he continued. "Someone's got to stick up for them. Someone's got to stick up for girls getting bullied out of sports. Someone's got to stick up for the truth. And so these are really important issues."

Rowling has found support from a few "Harry Potter" alumni, however. When asked about the controversy, Draco Malfoy portrayer Tom Felton said he chose to "celebrate" the impact Rowling's films have had. And like Marshall, Ralph Fiennes, who played the villain Voldemort in the series, recently blasted the abuse against Rowling as "despicable."