Chinese President Xi Jinping said the US and China should be “partners, not rivals,” as a series of issues, including Chinese aid for Russia in its war against Ukraine, continue to separate the countries.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on the last day of his China tour Friday.
Blinken’s talks with Xi followed a five and a half hours discussion with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on a number of contentious issues earlier in the day.
According to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, Xi told Blinken the two “countries should be partners, not rivals.”
“There are still a number of issues that need to be resolved, and there is still room for further efforts,” CCTV cited the Chinese leader as having told Blinken.
“We hope the US can also take a positive view of China’s development,” Xi said, adding: “When this fundamental problem is solved… relations can truly stabilize, get better, and move forward.”
Blinken meets Wang Yi
Earlier in the day, meeting at the Diaoyutai state guesthouse in Beijing’s ancient gardens, Wang said ties between the two countries were “beginning to stabilize.”
Wang also added that differences between the countries persist and continue to grow, making talks more difficult.
“But at the same time, the negative factors in the relationship are still increasing and building and the relationship is facing all kinds of disruptions,” Wang said.
Relations have improved the last year but still ‘fragile’
DW correspondent Fabian Kretschmer explained that the relationship was “fragile” given the two countries continue to compete ontrade and tech fronts.
Still, relations have improved since early last year when the US government accused China of trying to collect sensitive information by flying an alleged spy balloon over US airspace, Kretschmer said.
Blinken discussed concerns about “PRC support to the Russian defence industrial base” as well as Taiwan, the South China Sea and the situation in Middle East, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.
Differences over South China Sea, Taiwan
China’s determination to assert its disputed sovereignty over the entirety of the South China Sea has sparked numerous clashes with its neighbors, including countries that are allies of the US. One such country and US ally is the Philippines.
Wang outlined, without being specific, Chinese complaints about US policies on the South China Sea and Taiwan, saying: “China’s legitimate development rights have been unreasonably suppressed and our core interests are facing challenges.”
Blinken responded that the Biden administration placed a premium on US-China dialogue even on issues of dispute. He said there had been some progress in relations in the past year, but added that talks would continue to be difficult.
The meeting between the top diplomats followed a summit in November whenUS President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in San Francisco.
China’s continued support of Russia in its ongoing invasion of Ukraine was the other issue Blinken raised as an area of concern.
Source: Dw
