Blinken meets China’s Xi in high stakes to defuse rising tensions

US Secretary of State Anthony Brinken warned the US that China must choose between “cooperation or conflict” and said there was “no room for compromise” on Taiwan, after saying in Beijing today that China He met with President Xi Jinping.

Brinken’s meeting with Xi at the Great Hall of the People was the highest-level visit to Beijing by an American official in nearly five years.

During the meeting, Xi told Blinken that he hoped his visit would make a “positive contribution” to improving relations between China and the United States, according to state broadcaster CGTN.

“Exchanges between countries should always be based on mutual respect and sincerity. I hope that Secretary Brinken can make a positive contribution to stabilizing China-US relations through this visit,” Xi said during the meeting. He said while praising the “progress” of

Xi told Blinken that the world needed stable Sino-US relations, saying, “China respects the interests of the United States and is not trying to challenge the United States or drive it away. ‘ added.

US Secretary of State Antony Brinken shook hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, on Monday.

The meeting between Blinken and Xi (pictured together) was the highest-level visit to Beijing by a US official in nearly five years.

Photo: Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Chun-Hung observes Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy vessel Luyang III (above) as it transits the Taiwan Strait with the Royal Canadian Navy’s HMCS Montreal on June 3.

A meeting between Mr. Xi and Mr. Blinken had been anticipated and was seen as key to the trip’s success, but neither side confirmed it until a State Department official announced it just an hour ago.

The contempt by Chinese leaders would have been a major setback to efforts to restore and maintain communication at the senior level. In previous meetings between Mr. Blinken and Chinese officials, both sides have expressed a willingness to talk, but there has been little inclination to bend their hardened stance.

Blinken had a three-hour meeting with China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, earlier today at the ornate guesthouse in the ancient gardens of Diaoyutai, a State Department official said.

“The Secretary of State’s visit to Beijing marks an important crossroads in China-US relations,” Wang told Blinken, according to a report by China’s state broadcaster CCTV.

“We need to make a choice between dialogue and confrontation, cooperation or conflict,” he said.

“We must work together to reverse the vicious cycle of Sino-US relations, promote a return to a healthy and stable track, and find the right path for China-US relations to get along well,” Wang added. .

According to Chinese state media, Wang called on the United States to stop speculating about threats from China, abandon “repression” of China’s scientific and technological development, and refrain from interfering in China’s internal affairs.

“China has no room for compromise or concession,” Wang said on the issue of Taiwan, the democratic island that Beijing claims to be its own, according to a Chinese statement.

China has held two live-fire military exercises near the island over the past year, angered by the actions of leading US lawmakers.

“The United States must truly adhere to the one-China principle affirmed in the three joint communiques of the United States and China, respect China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and clearly oppose ‘Taiwan independence.'”

Ahead of the meeting, Mr. Blinken and Mr. Wang smiled politely and chatted in front of the cameras.

They then went to a meeting with their aides, who, unlike their superiors, wore masks in accordance with COVID-19 regulations.

Tensions between the world’s two largest economies have increased in recent years on issues ranging from trade to technology to Taiwan.

U.S. officials say they don’t expect much progress from Mr. Blinken’s talks, but they want to resume normal communication to prevent the accident from escalating into conflict.

Blinken is the highest-level U.S. official to visit China since President Joe Biden took office, and his two-day visit was initially announced in February after a Chinese surveillance balloon was shot down over the United States. ‘s visit to China was postponed.

The two countries announced on Sunday that they had accepted Qin’s offer to return to Washington at a later date.

On Sunday, Brinken met with Foreign Minister Qin Gang for seven and a half hours, longer than expected, and the two sides agreed to continue communication.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China on Monday.Neither wore a face mask, but the advisor did

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with US Secretary of State Anthony Brinken in Beijing on Monday

Blinken (center left) met with Wang Yi (center right) in Beijing, China on Monday.Neither was wearing a mask, but the other was wearing one.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on Sunday.

US Secretary of State Anthony Brinken walks after arriving in Beijing, China on Sunday.

Soldiers stand near the Yufeng Mobile Missile Launch Pad at Maobitou Park in Pingtung County, Taiwan, April 10.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the meeting with Mr. Hata was “candid, substantive and constructive.”

Blinken emphasized “the importance of diplomacy and maintaining open communication channels across all issues to reduce the risk of misunderstandings and miscalculations,” Miller added.

Qin told Blinken behind closed doors that US-China relations were at “the lowest point since diplomatic relations were established,” according to CCTV.

“This is not in line with the basic interests of the two peoples, nor is it in line with the common expectations of the international community,” Qin said at the meeting.

A senior US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the discussions went beyond the usual points of contention.

“This was a real conversation,” he said.

At Sunday’s meeting, Mr. Blinken urged China to release Americans in custody and take steps to curb production and exports of the fentanyl precursors that are fueling America’s opioid crisis.

Several high-level talks have taken place since Mr Blinken’s visit was canceled in February. CIA Director William Burns will visit China in May, China’s Commerce Minister will visit the United States, and Biden’s National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan will meet with China’s senior foreign policy adviser Wang Yi in Vienna in May. bottom.

The Chinese navy’s missile frigate Yuling (right) and minesweeper Hunter Chibi (middle) are seen anchored at Changi Naval Base during the IMDEX Asian Warships Exhibition in Singapore on May 4.

Three military boats of Taiwan’s amphibious reconnaissance patrol unit patrol the Matsu archipelago on April 9.

But they were punctuated by the two countries’ fierce rhetoric over the Taiwan Strait, broader intentions in the Indo-Pacific, China’s refusal to accuse Russia of its war with Ukraine, and Washington’s claims that China is seeking to build up its military power. It is Global surveillance capabilities, including Cuba.

And earlier this month, China’s defense minister rejected US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s request to meet alongside a security symposium in Singapore, a sign of continued dissatisfaction.

Meanwhile, the national security advisers of the United States, Japan and the Philippines held their first joint meeting last week and agreed to step up defense cooperation as part of countering China’s growing influence and ambitions.

This comes at the same time that the Biden administration signed agreements with Australia and the United Kingdom to provide its first nuclear submarines, prompting China to expand its diplomatic presence, particularly in the Indian and Pacific island nations. and is moving rapidly, and China is opening or opening. It plans to open at least five new embassies in the next year.

The agreement is part of an 18-month nuclear partnership called ‘AUKUS’, which stands for Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.