Amid heightened tensions, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang spoke by phone. Chinese state media reported on Wednesday that Qin had said that China-US relations have encountered new difficulties and challenges since the beginning of the year.
He urged the United States to stop interfering in China’s internal affairs. Washington must respect China’s main concerns, including the Taiwan issue. China considers Taiwan to be part of the People’s Republic. Qin also urged the US to work with China to resolve differences.
The State Department said Blinken explained during the call that it is important to keep lines of communication open to avoid misperceptions and conflict. In addition, Blinken addressed a range of bilateral and global issues and made clear that the United States would continue to use diplomatic channels to address issues and opportunities for cooperation.
Published/updated:
Published/updated:
Published/updated:
According to reports in several American media, Blinken intends to travel to China in a few days after serious diplomatic setbacks. The US State Department has yet to comment on possible travel plans.
Blinken had planned a visit to China months ago, but canceled the trip at the last minute in early February because of an alleged Chinese spy balloon over the United States.
Blinken said in Washington on Monday that China had been using the island of Cuba, which is close to the United States, to gather intelligence for some time. He was reacting to corresponding reports in the American newspaper “Wall Street Journal”.
Allegations of spying attempts now add to the list of issues between the two countries. China’s stance on Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ongoing trade war and Beijing’s threats against Taiwan are also expected to be on the agenda for a meeting of the two foreign ministers.
In March, the head of state and leader of the Chinese party, Xi Jinping, accused the United States and its Western allies of trying to contain the rise of the People’s Republic of China.