The top U.S. and Chinese diplomats spoke by phone Saturday (Feb. 6) to exchange views on topical issues between the two countries. It was the first Time since U.S. President Joe Biden took office.
In this call with Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Working Committee, the new U.S. Secretary of State Blinken touched on many major issues, such as what happened to the Uighur minority in China’s Xinjiang province, the crackdown on pro-democracy in Hong Kong, the development of U.S. relations with Taiwan, U.S.-China trade issues, security in the Indo-Pacific region, and the military coup in Myanmar.
Blinken made clear that the United States will continue to support human rights and democratic values, including on issues such as Xinjiang, Tibet, and Hong Kong. Blinken also emphasized that the United States will work with allies and partners to hold the People’s Republic of China accountable for its efforts to threaten the stability of the Indo-Pacific region, including across the Taiwan Strait, and for its actions to undermine the rules-based international system.
However, this important statement by Blinken was completely omitted from Chinese Foreign Ministry briefings and reports in official media such as Xinhua’s Global Times.
Blinken also specifically called on China to condemn the military coup that took place in Myanmar. For his part, Yang Jiechi responded that the international community should create a favorable external environment for a proper resolution of the Myanmar issue.
China has huge investments in Myanmar’s mines, oil and gas pipelines, and infrastructure.
As the highest-ranking official in charge of foreign affairs in the Communist Party of China, Yang Jiechi said that “Sino-U.S. relations are currently at a critical moment” and that “the Chinese government has always maintained a high degree of stability and continuity in its policy toward the United States.”
He also urged the U.S. side to “correct its mistakes over a period of time” and hoped that the U.S. would “work with China to uphold the spirit of non-conflict and non-confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation” to promote the healthy development of relations between the two countries.
Speaking on Xinjiang, Hong Kong and Tibet, Yang Jiechi said these issues are “purely internal affairs of China and foreign interference is never allowed.
Yang also referred to the Taiwan issue as “the most sensitive and important core issue” in U.S.-China relations.
During the last U.S. administration, the United States increased the quantity and quality of arms sales to Taiwan and elevated the level of interaction between the two sides. 2020 saw the almost daily activities of Chinese military aircraft in the Taiwan Strait, harassing Taiwan. The Chinese military frequently holds military exercises to attack Taiwan, and Chinese official media constantly issue threats to attack Taiwan by force.
The briefing issued by the Chinese Foreign Ministry on the contents of the call mainly introduced Yang Jiechi’s remarks on China’s position, while almost all of Blinken’s talking points were omitted, mentioning only that Blinken agreed that “the U.S.-China relationship is very important to both countries and to the world. The United States is willing to develop a stable and constructive bilateral relationship with China. Blinken reiterated that the U.S. will continue to pursue a one-China Policy and abide by the three U.S.-China joint communiqués, and that this policy position remains unchanged.”
Since taking office, U.S. President Joe Biden has spoken by phone with the leaders of several countries, including Britain, France, Japan and Russia. But the long-awaited call between the U.S. and Chinese heads of state has not happened.
Reuters said this shows that Biden himself does not seem eager to engage with Xi. In his first foreign policy address on Thursday, Biden identified China as “the United States’ most serious competitor” and said the United States “will continue to confront China’s attacks on human rights, intellectual property and global governance.
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