US-China talks start with warnings about misunderstandings and miscalculations
BEIJING — The United States and China clashed over a number of contentious bilateral, regional and global issues when US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday.
Both diplomats underlined the importance of keeping lines of communication open, but both regretted that divisions between their countries were widening and becoming more serious in nature.
“Overall, the China-US relationship is beginning to stabilize in all areas,” Wang told Blinken. “But at that point, the negative factors in the relationship are still increasing and increasing, and the relationship is facing all kinds of disruptions.”
“Should China and the United States continue to move in the right direction to move forward with stability or should they return to a downward spiral?” he asked. “This is an important question for our two countries and tests our sincerity and competence.”
Wang also outlined, without being specific, known Chinese complaints about U.S. policies and positions on the South China Sea, Taiwan, human rights and China’s right to have relations with countries it deems appropriate.
“China’s legitimate development rights have been unreasonably suppressed and our core interests are facing challenges,” he said, demanding that the US not interfere in China’s internal affairs.
Blinken responded by saying the Biden administration places a premium on U.S.-China dialogue, even on points of contention, noting that some progress has been made in bridging divisions over the past year. Still, he suggested the discussions would be difficult.
“I look forward to these discussions being very clear and very direct about where we have differences and where the United States stands, and I have no doubt that you will do the same on behalf of China,” Blinken told Wang.
“There is no substitute in our judgment for personal diplomacy to try to make progress, but also to ensure that we are as clear as possible about the areas where we have disagreements to avoid misunderstandings. to avoid miscalculations,” he said.
Blinken arrived in China on Wednesday, visiting Shanghai shortly before US President Joe Biden signed a $95 billion foreign aid package that includes several elements likely to anger Beijing, including $8 billion to address China’s growing aggressiveness toward Taiwan and in the South -China Sea. It is also trying to force TikTok’s Chinese parent company to sell the social media platform.
China has spoken out against US aid to Taiwan and immediately condemned the aid as a dangerous provocation. It also strongly opposes attempts to force the sale of TikTok.
Still, the fact that Blinken made the trip — shortly after a call between Biden and Xi, a visit to China by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and a phone call between the U.S. and Chinese defense chiefs — is a sign that the two sides are at least willing to discuss their differences.