Jake Sullivan, President Joe Biden’s security adviser, in Washington, February 11, 2022. MANUEL BALCE CENETA / AP
A nearly seven-hour meeting held on Monday, March 14, in Rome by American Jake Sullivan, US President Joe Biden’s security adviser, and Yang Jiechi, Politburo member and director of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). allowed to fix the differences between the US and China, but did not reconcile their points of view.
The press release issued by the White House following the meeting consists of eight lines. We learn that the two men “discussed at length Russia’s war against Ukraine” and that they “emphasized the importance of maintaining open lines of communication” between Beijing and Washington.
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On the other hand, China has been far more prolific. The official Xinhua News Agency (New China) released two dispatches. The first provides an overview of bilateral relations and devotes at least three paragraphs to Taiwan: Beijing expresses “serious concern” and its “strong rejection” of American support for the “separatist forces” of the island. A minute later, a shorter dispatch reports Yang Jiechi’s commentary on Ukraine. In addition to recalling China’s traditional position on respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, Yang added that “it is important to take into account the historical context of the Ukrainian issue, return to the roots of the problem, and take into account the legitimate interests of all parties.”
Yang Jiechi, Director of the Central Committee of Foreign Affairs of the Communist Party of China, in Anchorage, Alaska, March 18, 2021 FREDERIC J. BROWN/AP
The order of priorities is not the same
Only two lines at the end of the cable refer to the topical debate: the US assertion that Beijing will provide military assistance to Russia. “The Chinese side strongly opposes any statements and actions that spread false information or distort and discredit China’s position. »
According to the Financial Times, “The US has told its allies that China has responded positively to Russia’s request for military equipment. The cables sent to allies in Europe and Asia do not say whether China provided assistance or simply told Moscow that it would provide assistance. According to this source, “Russia has requested five types of equipment from China: surface-to-air missiles, drones, armored vehicles, logistics vehicles and intelligence equipment.”
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After the meeting in Rome, Ned Price, a spokesman for the US State Department, said: “We have made clear to China that we will not rest on our laurels. We will not allow any country to compensate for Russia’s losses due to economic sanctions. “China could do more than many other countries to end this senseless violence, this brutality, this deliberate war by Putin,” he said.
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