Blinken's Visit to China: Key Topics Discussed with Wang and President Xi
Blinken's Visit to China: Key Topics Discussed with Wang and President Xi
Common Ground Reached: Negotiations to Continue
What Wang and Blinken talked about?
According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry's report, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a "candid, substantive, and constructive" (坦诚、实质性、建设性的) discussion with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. According to my understanding of Chinese diplomatic language, this phrase suggests that both parties have sincerely expressed their views in the dialogue and discussed specific issues with the goal of achieving beneficial outcomes for their relationship. (Some Chinese political watchers also believe that this phrase suggests that while both sides have significant disagreements, they were willing to engage in meaningful dialogue to find common ground and progress on critical issues.)
They’ve been talked about:
The current state of U.S.-China relations: Wang Yi mentioned that while the relationship has stabilized, negative factors are still accumulating. He emphasized that China's attitude, position, and demands regarding the relationship have been consistent.
The future direction of U.S.-China relations: Wang Yi stressed that the fundamental question is whether the U.S. and China will be partners or competitors and that if the U.S. continues to treat China as its main competitor, the relationship will face ongoing troubles and issues.
The Taiwan issue: Wang Yi emphasized that the Taiwan issue is the first red line that cannot be crossed in U.S.-China relations.
Economic and technological suppression: Wang Yi pointed out that the U.S. measures targeting China's economy and technology are not fair competition but rather containment and encirclement. He called on the U.S. to stop these practices and remove illegal sanctions on Chinese companies.
The Asia-Pacific region: Wang Yi stressed that the Asia-Pacific should not become an arena for great power rivalry. He urged the U.S. to make the right choice, work with China to achieve positive interactions in the region, and stop undermining regional peace and stability.
Ukraine crisis, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, North Korea, and the situation in Myanmar.
After the meeting, they’ve reached five common grounds:
First, both sides agreed to continue working towards stabilizing and developing China-U.S. relations in accordance with the guidance of the two countries' heads of state. They affirmed the positive progress made in dialogue and cooperation across various fields since the San Francisco meeting and agreed to accelerate the implementation of the important consensus reached by the two heads of state in San Francisco.
Second, both sides agreed to maintain high-level exchanges and contacts at all levels. They will continue to utilize the restored and newly established consultation mechanisms in diplomacy, economy, finance, commerce, and other areas. They will also continue to conduct military-to-military exchanges and further promote cooperation in counter-narcotics, climate change, and artificial intelligence between China and the United States.
Third, both sides announced that they would hold the inaugural meeting of the China-U.S. Intergovernmental Dialogue on Artificial Intelligence; continue to advance consultations on the Guiding Principles for China-U.S. Relations; hold a new round of China-U.S. Asia-Pacific Consultations and China-U.S. Maritime Affairs Consultations; and continue to conduct China-U.S. Consular Consultations. The China-U.S. Counter-narcotics Working Group will hold a high-level meeting. The U.S. side welcomes the visit of China's Special Representative for Climate Change Affairs, Liu Zhenmin, to the United States.
Fourth, both sides will take measures to expand people-to-people exchanges between the two countries, welcome students from each other's countries, and ensure the success of the 14th China-U.S. Tourism High-Level Dialogue to be held in Xi'an, China, in May.
Fifth, both sides will maintain consultations on international and regional hotspot issues, and their special representatives will strengthen communication.
What did President Xi say to Blinken?
Following a meeting with Foreign Minister Wang Yi, President Xi Jinping also received Secretary Blinken at the Great Hall of the People. During their discussion, President Xi emphasized several key points:
The 45-year history of China-U.S. relations has demonstrated that the two nations should act as partners, not adversaries, and should strive for mutual success, respect differences, and ensure their actions align with their words.
China is committed to promoting the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind. Both China and the United States have a responsibility to contribute to world peace, development, and unity.
The five pillars outlined by President Xi during his meeting with President Biden in San Francisco - establishing correct perceptions, managing differences, fostering mutually beneficial cooperation, shouldering great power responsibilities, and encouraging people-to-people exchanges - are essential for stabilizing and enhancing China-U.S. relations.
China welcomes cooperation and competition with the United States, provided that it is reciprocal and leads to mutual progress. However, the U.S. should refrain from forming exclusive alliances aimed at targeting China.
Both sides must diligently work to implement the "San Francisco Vision" and make concerted efforts to stabilize, improve, and advance the bilateral relationship, recognizing that the current momentum for stabilizing China-U.S. relations has been hard-won.