Beijing – US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and senior Chinese officials on Friday, warning of the dangers of misunderstandings and miscalculations as the US and Porcelain They clashed over a series of controversial bilateral, regional and global issues. Blinken met Xi in Beijing after holding talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Public Security Minister Wang Xiaohong.
Talks between the two sides have increased in recent months, even as differences have grown.
“We are committed to maintaining and strengthening the lines of communication between us,” so that the two sides can avoid “any miscommunication, any misperception, and any miscalculation,” Blinken said.
Mark Schiefelbein/Pool/REUTERS
Earlier, Blinken and Wang also stressed the importance of keeping lines of communication open while lamenting the persistent and deepening divisions that threaten global security. Those divisions were highlighted earlier this week when President Biden signed a massive foreign aid bill containing several elements the Chinese consider problematic.
His comments hinted at a long list of differences to discuss, including Taiwan and the south china sea, trade and human rightsChina support for russia and the production and export of synthetic opioid precursors.
“Overall, the China-U.S. relationship is starting to stabilize,” Wang told Blinken at the start of about five and a half hours of talks. “But at the same time, the negative factors in the relationship continue to increase and consolidate and the relationship is facing all kinds of disturbances.”
“Should China and the United States continue in the right direction of moving forward with stability or return to a downward spiral?” she asked. “This is an important issue facing our two countries and it tests our sincerity and capabilities.”
“China’s legitimate development rights have been unjustifiably suppressed and our core interests face challenges,” he said. “China’s concerns are consistent. We have always called for respect for each other’s core interests and urge the United States not to interfere in China’s internal affairs, not to curb China’s development and not to step on China’s red lines in matters of sovereignty and security, and development interests.”
Blinken responded by saying that the Biden administration places great importance on dialogue between the United States and China, even on disputed issues. He noted there had been some progress over the past year but suggested talks would remain difficult.
“I hope that these discussions will be very clear, very direct about the areas where we have differences and the position of the United States, and I have no doubt that you will do the same on behalf of China,” Blinken told Wang.
“In our view, there is no substitute for face-to-face diplomacy to try to move forward, but also to make sure that we are as clear as possible about the areas where we have differences, at least to avoid misunderstandings. “To avoid mistakes of calculus,” he said.
The State Department later said that Blinken and Wang had “in-depth, substantive and constructive discussions on areas of difference as well as areas of cooperation” and made clear that Blinken had stood firm in the face of US concerns.
Blinken “emphasized that the United States will continue to defend our interests and values and those of our allies and partners, including on human rights and economic issues,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement.
Blinken arrived in China on Wednesday and visited Shanghai shortly before Mr. Biden signed the $95 billion foreign aid package That has several elements that are likely to anger Beijing, including $8 billion to counter China’s growing aggressiveness toward Taiwan and the South China Sea. Also search force TikTok’s China-based parent company to sell the social media platform.
China and the United States are the main players in the Indo-Pacific. Washington is increasingly alarmed by Beijing’s growing aggressiveness in recent years toward Taiwan and its smaller Southeast Asian neighbors with which it has major territorial and maritime disputes in the South China Sea.
China has criticized US aid to Taiwan and immediately condemned it as a dangerous provocation. He also strongly opposes efforts to force the sale of TikTok.
The bill also allocates $61 billion to Ukraine to defend itself against the Russian invasion. The Biden administration has complained loudly that Chinese support for Russia’s military-industrial sector has allowed Moscow to subvert Western sanctions and increase attacks on Ukraine.
U.S. officials have said China’s ties with Russia would be a major topic of conversation during Blinken’s visit, and just before Friday’s meetings began, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced he would visit China in May.