Antony Blinken talks for several hours behind closed doors with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing on Friday for talks on a range of complex issues, including growing tensions over China’s support for the Russian invasion. in Ukraine.

Antony Blinken was scheduled to hold several hours of talks with Wang Yi in a closed-door meeting at the Diaoyutai State Guest House and a working lunch as the two sides try to maintain progress in bilateral relations despite a broad and thorny agenda, writes Agerpres, taking over Reuters and AFP.

The US secretary of state said he hoped the US and China would make “progress” as he opened talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who highlighted growing disagreements between the two powers.

On his second visit to China in less than a year, Blinken said he would raise sensitive issues during these talks, such as China’s trade practices, Beijing’s support for Moscow and even Taiwan.

“Negative Elements”

For his part, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi emphasized that relations between the two powers “are beginning to stabilize” following a meeting between US President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in San Francisco in November.

But “negative elements are developing” between Washington and Beijing, Wang Yi emphasized.

“Relationships face all kinds of difficulties. China’s legitimate development rights have been unjustifiably suppressed, and our fundamental interests are challenged,” he added. “Should China and the United States continue to move in the right direction, that of stability, or return to a downward spiral?” he asked.

“This is a major issue facing both countries and one that tests our sincerity and capabilities,” the head of Chinese diplomacy also replied.

Will it be received by Xi?

Opening the meeting with Wang Yi, Antony Blinken said he would be “very clear, very direct”, also adding that he hoped for “progress on the issues that our presidents have agreed on”.

The two countries should be “as clear as possible in the areas where there are differences, at least to avoid misunderstandings and miscalculations,” said Blinken.

“This is truly a shared responsibility that we have not only to our own people, but to people around the world,” he insisted.

Arriving in China on Wednesday, the head of American diplomacy made a first stop in Shanghai and landed in Beijing on Thursday afternoon.

So far, no reception of the US Secretary of State by President Xi Jinping has been announced. During the previous visit of the head of American diplomacy to Beijing, in June, the organization of such a reception was made public at the last moment.

Publisher: BP

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