Secretary of State Blinken and National Security Adviser Sullivan at U.S.-China High-Level Talks in Alaska (AP, March 18, 2021)
Two days of high-level talks between the U.S. and China opened Thursday (March 18) in Alaska. The two sides exchanged a rare public exchange of heated words in their opening remarks. The U.S. side accused China of acting in a way that threatens the international order, while China criticized U.S. hegemony and hypocrisy on issues such as human rights. Outsiders generally have low expectations for the outcome of the meeting. Some analysts believe that the tit-for-tat between the two sides is mainly an attempt to present a tough stance to the domestic audience.
In his opening remarks, Secretary of State John Blinken said the U.S. side will discuss Chinese actions that raise deep concerns at the talks, “including actions in Xinjiang, Hong Kong and Taiwan, cyber attacks on the United States, economic coercion against our allies.”
He said, “All of these actions threaten the rules-based order that maintains global stability. So they are not just internal affairs, and we therefore feel obligated to raise these topics here today.”
Sullivan, the president’s national security adviser who attended the talks with Blinken, said the concerns are not only American but also come from U.S. allies and partners and the broader international community. He said the U.S. does not seek conflict, but welcomes fierce competition and “will always stand up for our principles, our people and our friends.”
Yang Jiechi, China’s Politburo member in charge of foreign affairs, then delivered a strong rebuttal in an opening statement that lasted more than 15 minutes. He accused the U.S. of using force and financial hegemony to impose long-arm jurisdiction and suppression on other countries, abusing the concept of national security and hindering trade exchanges.
He also said that the United States itself has many problems, “many people do not have confidence in American democracy” and that human rights problems are “deep-rooted”. He said the U.S. has to do “to change its image, not to promote its so-called democracy,” and said “our two countries had better mind their own business and not divert the spearhead.”
In response to U.S. concerns about Xinjiang, Hong Kong and Taiwan, he said, in what the Chinese government has always said, that these are an inseparable part of China’s territory and firmly opposes U.S. interference in China’s internal affairs. Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi later added that the United States’ “this old problem should be corrected.” Wang Yi added that China will not accept groundless accusations from the U.S. side in the future.
Yang Jiechi said the United States should abandon the Cold War mentality and return bilateral relations to the track of healthy development. He said the U.S. and China have had confrontations, but confrontation does not benefit the U.S. “We in China are coming through.”
After the Chinese side finished speaking, Blinken called on reporters who were about to leave, adding that in his calls with nearly 100 officials around the world and his visits to Japan and South Korea, he had heard very different things. He told the Chinese: “What I heard was a depth of satisfaction that America is back, that we are re-engaging with our allies and our partners. I also heard a depth of concern about some of the actions that your administration is taking.”
He also warned that when President Biden visited China as vice president, he mentioned with Xi Jinping, then vice president, that “it’s never a good bet to bet against America, and it’s true today .”
Sullivan said that “a confident nation that looks at its own shortcomings and always seeks to improve” is also the secret of the United States.
The U.S. and China have been at loggerheads in recent years over almost every aspect of trade and commerce, human rights and the military, and bilateral relations have fallen to their lowest point since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The Biden Administration has largely continued the hard-line stance of the Trump administration since taking office, with no signs of softening.
The U.S.-China talks come just after Blinken and Defense Secretary Austin visited Japan and South Korea to strengthen U.S. relations with the two major Asian allies. During his visit, Blinken also repeatedly lashed out at China on issues such as the South China Sea, Xinjiang, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
At the same Time, Washington issued a series of measures involving China, including beginning to revoke the licenses of two Chinese telecommunications companies to operate in the United States, subpoenaing several Chinese information technology companies over national security concerns and expanding sanctions against Chinese and Hong Kong officials who have eroded Hong Kong’s autonomy.
China, for its part, is not showing any weakness, saying it will not compromise when it comes to its core interests of sovereignty and territorial integrity. In his opening remarks on Thursday, Wang accused the United States of “not normal hospitality” in launching new sanctions against China a day before the talks. He also warned, “If the U.S. side is trying to use this move to supposedly enhance your advantage over China, I’m afraid you’re playing the wrong game.”
Zack Cooper, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, argued that the purpose of the talks was to give the two sides a chance to understand each other’s positions, and that Washington did not expect any consensus with China on issues of U.S. concern.
He told the Voice of America, “I think the talks are likely to be very tense and heated, with each side ending up with a grudge against the other.”
James Berger, a partner in the international regulatory and compliance group at law firm JLG, believes the meeting will be largely a formality, with neither side making any significant concessions on aspects they themselves consider important.
What they’re mainly trying to do is make their respective domestic audiences feel like they’re looking tough,” he told Voice of America. In the United States, President Biden wants to show that he still defends American workers and defends issues like what Americans consider to be human rights values. For China, they may want to show as firm a position as possible on foreign policy issues such as Taiwan and Hong Kong, and on those trade policy issues that have been pursued under the Trump Administration.”
The high-level U.S.-China talks will last until Friday, and the two sides will not issue a joint statement after the meeting.
Both the U.S. and China have also released some signals ahead of the talks that they do not have high expectations for the outcome of the talks. A senior Biden administration official said Tuesday at a background briefing at the White House that the meeting was just the beginning, allowing the two sides to get to know each other and that the talks would provide important information for developing a U.S. national security strategy. Chinese Ambassador to the U.S. Cui Tiankai also said in an interview with Chinese media Wednesday that Beijing does not expect one dialogue to solve all problems and has no high expectations or illusions.
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