US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday that the US and China agreed on the need to stabilize bilateral relationship as he met Chinese senior officials in Beijing.
“In every meeting, I stressed that direct engagement and sustained communication at senior levels is the best way to responsibly manage our differences and ensure that competition does not veer into conflict. And I heard the same from my Chinese counterparts,” Blinken told a press conference after his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. During his two-day visit to China from Sunday, he also held talks with Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China Central Committee Wang Yi and Foreign Minister Qin Gang.
The US has “no illusions” about the challenges of managing relationship with China, and there are many issues on which the two countries profoundly, even vehemently disagree, but it is the responsibility of both countries to find a path forward, Blinken noted.
He pointed out that he repeatedly raised the issue of crisis communications and military-to-military channels during the meetings, noting that it is absolutely vital that they have these kind of communications and channels. “At this moment, China has not agreed to move forward with that. There is no immediate progress, but it is a continued priority for us,” he said.
The top US diplomat also noted the two sides had a “robust conversation” about regional and global challenges, including Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. “I reiterated that we would welcome China playing a constructive role along with other nations to work toward a just peace, based on the principles of the UN Charter,” he noted. In addition, Blinken said China is in a unique position to press North Korea to engage in dialogue and to end its dangerous behavior.
Blinken said he also raised US concerns about China’s “provocative actions” in the Taiwan Strait, as well as in the South and East China Seas. On Taiwan, he reiterated the longstanding US “one China” policy, and affirmed that there is no change in US policy. “We remain opposed to any unilateral changes to the status quo by either side,” he stressed, expressing hope for the peaceful resolution of cross-strait differences.
Source: Kuwait News Agency