US, China foreign ministers hold phone talks

Asia-Pacific, News, US November 13, 2021 , by IRIA No Comments

On November 12, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke on phone to prepare for a virtual meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping scheduled on November 16, 2021.

According to Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying, the meeting between Xi and Biden via video link will be held on November 16 (Beijing Time).

Both sides noted that the upcoming virtual meeting between two leaders offers an opportunity to discuss ways to responsibly manage competition between the U.S. and China while working together in areas where interests align.

According to the U.S. Department of State official statement, Secretary Blinken “emphasized longstanding U.S. interest in peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and expressed concern regarding the PRC’s [China’s] continued military, diplomatic, and economic pressure against Taiwan,” and urged China to “engage in meaningful dialogue to resolve cross-Strait issues peacefully”.

U.S. secretary of state also “stressed the importance of taking measures to ensure global energy supply and price volatility do not imperil global economic recovery,” the statement added.

In response, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang stressed the importance of “meeting each other halfway” and warned the U.S. to not support “Taiwan independence.”

Wang highlighted the importance of resolving differences and meeting each other halfway to ensure a smooth and successful meeting, and bring bilateral relations back on track.

Chinese Foreign Ministry statement read on Saturday, that the U.S. looks forward to sharing its views on bilateral relations with China on the basis of mutual respect, and jointly sending a strong signal to the world.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the virtual meeting between the two world leaders “will be closely watched by the world and the two sides have made full preparations for it and made positive progress.”

The Biden-Xi virtual meeting is seen as a positive sign for improving tense relations between the U.S. and China.

The U.S.-China relations have been tense, with clashes over issues like trade, espionage, and the pandemic. The telephonic conversation between two officials comes at a time when the U.S. has intensified efforts to contain China and accuses Beijing of mishandling the coronavirus pandemic, conducting cyberattacks, and its “coercive and unfair” trade practices.

Earlier on October 31, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met in Rome on the sidelines of the G20 Summit. According to media sources, Wang Yi expressed “China’s solemn concern over various issues that the United States has harmed China’s legitimate rights and interests, and requested the U.S. side to change its course and push China-U.S. relations back onto the track of sound development.”

During the face-to-face meeting in October, the officials from both countries agreed to maintain dialogue on addressing global challenges and exchanged views on important issues such as energy supply, climate change, Afghanistan and Myanmar issues, the Iranian nuclear issue, and the ongoing situation in the Korean Peninsula.