HONG KONG – Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Friday, ending a three-day visit to China dominated by controversial issues and warnings from the president against a new “downward spiral” in relations. .
The two met on Friday afternoon local time. At the Great Hall of the People, an ornate, cavernous building next to Tiananmen Square.
Blinken told Xi that President Joe Biden was sent to China to “deepen areas of cooperation and responsibly manage the differences that our two countries have.”
Noting that this year marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and China, President Xi said that the two countries “should be partners, not adversaries.”
“The world is big enough to accommodate the simultaneous development and prosperity of China and the United States,” he said, adding that if the United States “adopts positive and constructive policies, the U.S.-China relationship will improve.” will be stable,” he added. This is my view on China’s development. ”
Blinken’s visit is his second in less than a year, as the two superpowers seek to stabilize relations in new talks despite a growing list of geopolitical differences.
The main purpose of Blinken’s visit to China was to warn about China’s support for Russia’s war against Ukraine, which began weeks after Russia and China declared an “unrestricted” partnership in 2022. Although China does not appear to be providing lethal support to Russia, Blinken said last week that the company is a “major contributor” to Russia’s defense industrial base, including machine tools, semiconductors, and other military and civilian equipment. He said he provides both items.
Other topics on the agenda included China’s economic and trade practices that the United States views as unfair, China’s aggression in the South China Sea, stability in the Taiwan Strait, North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs, and the Israel-Hamas war.
Early Friday morning, Mr. Blinken met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the Diaoyutai Guest House, where foreign dignitaries are often entertained.
“In our judgment, there is no substitute for face-to-face diplomacy in order to move forward, or at least to be as clear as possible on the areas in which we disagree. To avoid misunderstandings, we apologize for any miscalculations. “To avoid this,” Blinken told Wang before the meeting.
Before the meeting, Wang said through an interpreter that the U.S.-China relationship “has gone through ups and downs and twists and turns.”
He said that although relations were starting to stabilize, “negative factors” were increasing.
“China’s legitimate development rights are being unduly suppressed, and our country’s core interests are facing difficulties,” Wang said, clearly citing U.S. export restrictions and the Chinese government’s efforts to limit its own economic growth. mentioned other measures aimed at
“Should China and the United States stick to the right direction of moving forward toward stability, or should they return to a downward spiral?” he said. “This is a serious issue for both countries.”
Blinken later said his meeting with Wang, which lasted more than three hours, was “extensive and constructive.”
The two men discussed next steps regarding various commitments made by Biden and Xi at their November summit in California, the State Department said. We ensure safety and encourage people-to-people interaction.
The summit, the first meeting between the two leaders in a year, brought U.S.-China relations to their lowest point in decades amid disputes over trade, technology, the status of Taiwan and the downing of a Chinese reconnaissance balloon. The purpose was to stabilize it. Over US territory.
Although relations have improved since then, the strengthening of U.S. security alliances in the Asia-Pacific region, U.S. concerns about Chinese products flooding global markets, U.S. scrutiny of China’s electric vehicle, shipbuilding, and other industries, and U.S. That relationship is being tested by the possibility of a military buildup. This week, a bill was passed that could lead to tariffs on Chinese goods and a U.S. ban on the Chinese app TikTok.
The bill, signed into law by Biden on Wednesday to coincide with Blinken’s arrival in China, includes provisions for the security of Taiwan, the autonomous island democracy that Beijing claims as its territory, the United States and the Indo-Pacific region. This includes $8 billion. China is competing for influence.
Blinken last visited China in June, where he also met with Xi. The trip also included a stop in Shanghai, where Mr. Blinken met with U.S. business leaders and visited New York University’s Shanghai campus.
