VIENTIANE, Laos — The United States and China reaffirmed their mutual grievances on Saturday, with the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his Chinese counterpart held their sixth meeting since last year, amid an uncertain political situation in the US and growing concerns about China’s growing assertiveness in Asia and elsewhere.
Blinken and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met for about an hour and 20 minutes during an annual Southeast Asia regional security forum in Vientiane, Laos, focused on tensions between China and U.S. ally the Philippines over disputes in the South China Sea.
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Blinken and Wang had had a “frank and productive” discussion but failed to reach significant agreements on the issues that most divide them in the Indo-Pacific, Europe and America.
“The United States will continue to take appropriate measures to protect our interests and values, and those of our allies and partners, including in the area of human rights,” Blinken told Wang, according to Miller.
Blinken “made clear that the United States, together with our allies and partners, will advance our vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific,” he said, highlighting recent aggressive Chinese actions against Taiwan, the self-ruled island that Beijing claims as part of the mainland and has vowed to reunify by force if necessary.
The top US diplomat also criticized China for “destabilizing actions in the South China Sea” and “reaffirmed the United States’ support for freedom of navigation and overflight and the peaceful resolution of disputes, in accordance with international law,” Miller said.
However, Blinken also praised China and the Philippines for reaching a deal earlier this week that allowed the Philippines to make a supply trip to the disputed area on Saturday. without having to confront Beijing’s forcesthe first such trip since the deal was closed.
“We’re pleased to note today’s successful resupply at the Second Thomas Shoal,” Blinken told foreign ministers at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations before his meeting with Wang. “We applaud that and we hope and expect that to continue.”
Tensions between the Philippines and China had been rising for months before the deal, with the Chinese coast guard and other troops using powerful water cannons and dangerous blocking Maneuvers to prevent food and other supplies from reaching Philippine naval personnel.
Still, Blinken, who will be in Manila next week as part of his ongoing six-nation tour of Asia, also deplored China’s “escalating and unlawful actions against the Philippines in the South China Sea in recent months.”
During his meeting with Wang, Blinken reiterated the deep concerns of the US and Europe about China’s support for the Russian defense industry. Washington and capitals in Europe believe that Russia is using this support to increase the production of weapons for the war against Ukraine.
Blinken “made it clear that if (China) does not act to address this threat to European security, the United States will continue to take appropriate measures to do so,” Miller said. Since that warning was first issued more than a year ago, the U.S. and others have imposed sanctions on more than 300 Russian and Chinese companies involved in the trade.
Asked whether the Chinese had responded to the sanctions as the U.S. and its allies would like, a senior State Department official said: “Not enough. Not enough to address our concerns.” The official spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed diplomatic meeting.
Blinken’s Asia trip was announced hours after President Joe Biden said he would step down as a candidate for the November election in favor of Vice President Kamala Harris. While the senior administration official said the reshuffle was not discussed during Saturday’s meetings, he said Blinken had pointed out to Wang that Harris had experience working with China and had met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Bangkok in 2022.
The official said Blinken was referring to the Biden-Harris administration’s desire to keep relations with China on a positive track, noting that while “he’s mentioned it before, it’s clearly a different context now.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also attended the ASEAN meeting in Laos, but the senior official said Blinken had no contact with him.
From Laos, Blinken flew to Hanoi for a brief stop to offer condolences over the death of the powerful leader of Vietnam’s Communist Party last week. He then traveled to Japan, the Philippines, Singapore and Mongolia.
Blinken will be joined by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in Tokyo and Manila on Sunday and Monday, where they will meet with their Japanese and Philippine counterparts to strengthen defense cooperation. Blinken will also meet with the foreign ministers of India and South Korea in Tokyo.
For the past sixty years, large military forces have been stationed in Japan and South Korea. A mutual defense treaty with the Philippines is a permanent feature of American policy in Asia.
Former President Donald Trump, now the Republican presidential candidate, expressed doubts during his first term about the usefulness of U.S. alliances around the world, suggesting that the U.S. military presence in Japan and South Korea could be reduced or even eliminated.