U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese President Xi Jinping have pledged to mend the worsening ties between their nations during Blinken’s significant visit to Beijing.
While both nations expressed a commitment to further dialogues, they maintained their stances on contentious issues such as trade, Taiwan, human rights abuses in China and Hong Kong, Chinese military activity in the South China Sea, and Russia’s involvement in Ukraine.
The meeting’s outcome left it uncertain whether the two superpowers could settle their critical differences with broad global financial, security, and stability implications.
Blinken’s emphasis remained on the resumption of military-to-military communication, a U.S. priority that China has consistently declined since 2021.
Speaking to the media, Blinken acknowledged the limited goals of his trip and stressed the significance of establishing communication, according to The Associated Press.
“It is absolutely vital that we have these kinds of communications,” he said. “This is something we’re going to keep working on.”
Xi, pleased with the progress of the talks, referenced an agreement he and President Joe Biden reached at a meeting in Bali the previous year.
“The Chinese side has made our position clear, and the two sides have agreed to follow through the common understandings President Biden and I had reached in Bali,” he stated.
However, the Bali agreement has been under threat, primarily due to rising military tensions in the Taiwan Strait, the South China Sea, and other disputes.
Xi did hint at a positive turn, remarking, “The two sides have also made progress and reached agreement on some specific issues. This is very good.”
During the talks, Blinken emphasized the joint responsibility of the U.S. and China to manage their relationship constructively, calling it in the interest of both nations and the world at large.
He described the discussions with top Chinese officials as “candid and constructive.”
Despite the high-level visit, expectations for major breakthroughs on key issues were kept low.
Officials from both sides prioritized the establishment of better communication channels between the world’s two largest economies.
In another recent dialogue with Secretary Blinken, China’s leading diplomat, Wang Yi, reinforced China’s uncompromising stance on the Taiwan issue.
“China has no room to compromise or concede” on the Taiwan question, Wang underscored during the meeting held in the Diaoyutai State Guest House in Beijing.
Wang firmly asserted that the United States needs to honor the “One China” principle and abstain from backing Taiwan’s desire to be independent.
“The U.S. must truly adhere to the One China principle… respect China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and clearly oppose ‘Taiwan independence’,” he said.
Taiwan, a self-governing island inhabited by 23.5 million people, is regarded by Beijing as a part of its dominion, a perspective at odds with Washington’s recognition of Taiwan’s sovereignty.
This discord has intensified strains between the two superpowers in recent times.
Wang claimed that the Sino-American relations have arrived at a crucial point.
He issued a challenge to Blinken and the United States, stating they must decide “between dialogue or confrontation, cooperation or conflict” in their dealings with China.
Wang insisted on the necessity to “take a responsible attitude toward the people, history and the world, and reverse the downward spiral of U.S.-China relations.”
The senior Chinese official appealed to the Biden administration to discontinue threats aimed at Beijing and to stop stifling China’s scientific and technological growth.
In response, the U.S. State Department reported that Blinken emphasized the need for “responsibly managing the competition” between the two nations.
He urged for maintaining “open channels of communication to ensure competition does not veer into conflict.”
Blinken also assured his Chinese counterpart that the U.S. will persistently use diplomacy to address areas of concern and safeguard American interests and values.
