NUSA DUA, Indonesia AEUR” China’s support of Russia’s war against Ukraine is complicating U.S. relations at a time they are already plagued by rifts over many other issues, U.S. Secretary Antony Blinken said to his Chinese counterpart Saturday.
Wang Yi, the Chinese Foreign Minister, blamed the U.S. and claimed that American policy was hampered by a misperception about China as a threat.
According to a Chinese statement, he stated that “many people believe the United States suffers from a Chinaphobia.” “If this threat-expansion continues, U.S. policy towards China will become a dead end with no exit.”
Blinken stated that he was deeply concerned about China’s position on Russia’s actions towards Ukraine. He also said that he did not believe Beijing’s claims of neutrality in the conflict.
These talks were organized in an effort to reduce or manage the hostility that has characterized recent relations between Washington, DC and Beijing.
After the meeting in Bali, Indonesia, Blinken said that he was concerned about Russia’s alignment with the PRC. It is hard to be neutral in a conflict where there is an aggressor, but he said that it was possible. “I don’t believe China is acting in any way that is neutral,” he added.
Although the Chinese statement stated that they had an in-depth discussion on Ukraine, it did not provide any details.
Biden’s administration hoped that China would adopt a similar position to Russia and Ukraine, given its history of opposition to interference in its internal affairs. It has chosen instead to take what U.S. officials call a mixed position that is threatening the international rules-based system.
Blinken stated that every country, including China, will lose its order if it is lost.
They met one day after meeting at a meeting of high-ranking diplomats from the Group of 20 rich, large and developing countries. The gathering ended without any joint call to end Russia’s war in Ukraine and to plan how to address its impact on food security and energy security.
Blinken stated that he believes Russia has left the G-20 meeting alone and isolated as many participants have expressed their opposition to the Ukraine conflict. The ministers could not agree on a G-20 unity call to end the conflict.
“There was a strong consensus, and Russia was left alone,” Blinken stated of individual condemnations made by Russian ministers. Some of them avoided speaking with Sergey Lavrov.
He noticed that Lavrov had left early because he didn’t like what he heard from his counterparts.
“It was important that he heard loudly from all over the world condemnation for Russia’s aggression,” Blinken stated, adding that “We see absolutely no signs that Russia at this point is willing to engage in diplomacy.”
Blinken stated that he had spoken to Wang about China. They discussed a variety of issues, including trade and tariffs, human rights in Taiwan, and disputes in South China Sea. These have all been complicated due to the Chinese position regarding Ukraine.
Wang called upon the U.S. not to place tariffs on Chinese imports, but to stop interfering with his country’s internal affairs. He also asked that the U.S. refrain from causing harm in the name democracy and human rights. He accused the U.S. also of “salami-slicing” Taiwan, an autonomous island China claims to be its territory and insists should be under its control.
Two days prior, top military officers from both countries had met over Taiwan in a virtual meeting. Blinken stated that he raised concerns about China’s “increasingly provocative rhetoric and activities near Taiwan” and stressed the importance of maintaining peace, stability and security across the Taiwan Strait. He also said that he raised concerns about human rights in Tibet and the western Xinjiang regions.
According to the Chinese statement, Wang rejected some “erroneous U.S. viewpoints” regarding Xinjiang and Hong Kong, as well as the South China Sea.
Officials from the United States had stated that they did not expect any breakthroughs in Blinken’s talks to Wang. They said that they were optimistic the conversation would help to keep communications open and provide “guardrails” for the two world’s largest economies as they navigate increasingly complicated and explosive issues.
Blinken stated that they are committed to managing the competition and this relationship responsibly, as the world expects.
China and the United States have taken increasingly hostile positions on Ukraine that could result in miscalculations and conflict. The U.S. watched with concern as China refused to condemn the Russian invasion. It also condemned Western sanctions against Russia, and accused the U.S. of inciting the conflict.
According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Wang made a subtle reference to China’s global stability policy at the G-20 meeting. He stated that “to place oneself above others’ security and intensify military blocs would only cause the international community to be split and make oneself less safe.”
Gen. Li Zuocheng, China’s chairman of the joint chiefss of staff, criticized his American counterpart Gen. Mark Milley for Washington’s support Taiwan.
Li demanded the U.S. end military “collusion” with Taiwan. He claimed that China has “no room to compromise” on issues that affect its “core interests.”
Li and Milley met after Wei Fenghe, the Chinese Defense Minister, made fiery remarks at a conference on regional security last month. U.S. Secretary Of Defense Lloyd Austin was also present.
Wei claimed that the United States tried to “hijack the support” of countries in the Asia-Pacific to turn them against Beijing. Washington, however, is trying to promote its own interests “under multilateralism”.
Austin also spoke at the Singapore meeting and said that China was creating instability through its claim to Taiwan, as well as its increased military activity.
