US Secretary of State Antony J Blinken with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang in Beijing today.
Beijing: The Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang today told the visiting United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken that the China-US relationship is at the lowest point since its establishment and this does not serve the fundamental interests of the two peoples or meet the shared expectations of the international community.
Blinken emphasized the importance of diplomacy and maintaining open channels of communication across the full range of issues to reduce the risk of misperception and miscalculation. He raised a number of issues of concern, as well as opportunities to explore cooperation on shared transnational issues with China where their interests align.
Qin expounded on China’s firm position and raised clear demands on the Taiwan question and other core interests and major concerns. Qin pointed out that the Taiwan question is the core of China’s core interests, the most consequential issue and the most pronounced risk in the China-U.S. relationship.
The Chinese side urged the US side to abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués, and truly deliver on its commitment of not supporting “Taiwan independence.”
“China is committed to building a stable, predictable and constructive relationship with the US. The two sides should deliver on the common understandings reached by President Xi and President Biden in Bali in letter and spirit, and work to stabilize and steer the relations back to the right track,” Qin told Blinken.
Blinken, on his part, made clear that the United States will always stand up for the interests and values of the American people and work with its allies and partners to advance their vision for a world that is free, open, and upholds the international rules-based order.
Claiming that China’s policy toward the US “remains consistent and stable”, Qin said China hopes that the US will adopt an objective and rational perception of China, work with China in the same direction, uphold the political foundation of China-US relations, and handle unexpected and sporadic events in a “calm, professional and rational manner”.
Blinken and Qin noted the importance of facilitating exchanges between the people of the United States and China. The Secretary invited State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin to Washington to continue the discussions, and they agreed to schedule a reciprocal visit at a mutually suitable time.
– global bihari bureau
