Top diplomats from the U.S. and China on Friday held a “candid and constructive” discussion on issues vexing their strained relations over Taiwan, the situation in the South China Sea, Russia’s war against Ukraine and synthetic opioids, the State Department said.
Quick Read
- High-Level Dialogue: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi engaged in discussions on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, marking a significant diplomatic interaction since President Joe Biden’s talks in California.
- Key Issues Addressed: The diplomats discussed critical topics affecting U.S.-China relations, including tensions over Taiwan, the South China Sea situation, Russia’s war in Ukraine, and synthetic opioids.
- Candid Exchange: The State Department described the talks as “candid and constructive,” focusing on bilateral, regional, and global issues to keep communication open and manage competition responsibly.
- U.S. Concerns and Stance: Blinken emphasized the importance of peace in the Taiwan Strait, the expansion of counternarcotics efforts, and expressed concerns over China’s support for Russia’s defense industry, which could aid Moscow’s military actions against Ukraine.
- Commitment to Interests and Values: The U.S. reaffirmed its dedication to defending its interests, values, and those of its allies and partners, with discussions also covering the Middle East and North Korea.
- Future Engagements: Both parties acknowledged the significance of continuous communication and planned for consultations and high-level meetings in key areas in the upcoming months.
The Associated Press has the story:
Top diplomats from US, China hold ‘constructive’ talks on issues dividing them
Newslooks- MUNICH (AP) —
Top diplomats from the U.S. and China on Friday held a “candid and constructive” discussion on issues vexing their strained relations over Taiwan, the situation in the South China Sea, Russia’s war against Ukraine and synthetic opioids, the State Department said.
The meeting between U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference marked the latest and highest-level meeting between the two sides since President Joe Biden held talks late last year in California.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Blinken had emphasized the importance of maintaining peace in the Taiwan Strait as well as expanding on nascent counternarcotics efforts. Blinken also raised concerns about China’s support for Russia’s defense industrial base that Washington sees as helping Moscow’s military operations against Ukraine.
“The two sides had a candid and constructive discussion on a range of bilateral, regional and global issues as part of ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communication and responsibly manage competition in the relationship,” Miller said.
Blinken “reiterated that the United States will stand up for our interests and values and those of our allies and partners,” Miller said, adding that the current situation in the Middle East and with North Korea had also been topics of conversation.
“Both sides recognized the importance of maintaining open lines of communication between the United States and (China) across a range of strategic issues, including consultations and high-level meetings in key areas in the coming months,” he said.
