Beijing.- The Secretary of State of the United States, Antony Blinken, met this Friday with the President of China, Xi Jinping, and other senior officials of the country and warned regarding the dangers of misunderstandings and miscalculations coinciding with the confrontation between Washington and Beijing over a series of controversial bilateral, regional and global issues.
The meeting between Blinken and Xi in Beijing occurred following the American politician met with the Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, and with the Minister of Public Security, Wang Xiaohong.
Talks between the two nations have intensified in recent months despite their growing differences.
“We are committed to maintaining and strengthening the lines of communication between us” so that the two sides can avoid “any misunderstanding, any misperception and any miscalculation,” Blinken said.
Earlier in the day, Blinken and Wang had stressed the importance of keeping lines of communication open and lamented the persistent and deepening divisions that threaten global security.
Those differences were highlighted earlier this week when US President Joe Biden signed a large foreign aid bill that includes several items that China considers problematic.
His comments hinted that there is a long list of differences to discuss, including Taiwan and the South China Sea, trade and human rights, Beijing’s support for Russia and the production and export of synthetic opioid precursors.
“Overall, the relationship between China and the United States is beginning to stabilize,” Wang told Blinken at the start of regarding five and a half hours of talks. “But at the same time, the negative factors in the relationship continue to increase and build, and the relationship faces all kinds of obstacles.”
“Should China and the United States stay in the right direction of moving forward with stability or returning to a negative spiral?” asked the Chinese president. “This is an important issue that confronts both of our countries and tests our sincerity and capacity.”
The State Department later indicated that Blinken and Wang had “in-depth, relevant and constructive conversations regarding areas of differences as well as areas of cooperation,” and made clear that Blinken stood firm on American concerns.
Blinken “emphasized that the United States will continue to defend our interests and values, as well as those of our allies and partners, including on human rights and economic issues,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement.
The politician arrived in China on Wednesday and visited Shanghai shortly before Biden signed the $95 billion foreign aid package, which contains several elements that might anger Beijing, such as the $8 billion intended to counter its growing aggressiveness once morest Taiwan and in the South China Sea. Additionally, he is seeking to force TikTok’s parent company, based in China, to sell the social media platform.
China and the United States are the main players in the Indo-Pacific region. Washington is increasingly alarmed by Beijing’s growing aggressiveness toward Taiwan and its smaller Southeast Asian neighbors, with which it has significant territorial and maritime disputes in the South China Sea.
China lashed out at US aid to Taiwan, immediately saying it was a dangerous provocation. Additionally, he strongly opposes efforts to force the sale of TikTok.
US officials have said the relationship between Beijing and Moscow will be one of the top topics on the agenda during Blinken’s visit. Before the start of the meetings on Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that he will visit China in May.
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2024-05-01 03:30:35
