Leading US diplomat Antony Blinken was informed by Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday that the world’s largest economies need to be “partners, not rivals” as the two sides endeavored to make progress on various issues.
After visiting China for the second time in less than a year, Blinken acknowledged the progress made in the relationship but asked Beijing to take more initiative in certain areas, such as reducing its support for Russia.
After meeting with US President Joe Biden in November, Xi Jinping told Blinken that the two nations had “made some positive progress” at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
As to Xi Jinping, the two nations ought to be allies rather than competitors.
However, he cautioned China against what it views as US pressure to restrain its economy, which has included attempts to seize control of the popular app TikTok from its Chinese owners and a broad restriction on semiconductor exports.
Xi Jinping expressed his hope that the US will likewise see China’s progress favorably.
Relationships may really stabilize, improve, and advance after this underlying issue is resolved, the speaker stated.
Blinken was already forewarned by China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi that US pressure may start a “downward spiral”.
Wang further cautioned that the “first red line” in China-US ties was the issue of Taiwan’s right to self-government.
Coercion with Russia
More than five and a half hours later, Blinken reported his discussions with Wang at the Diaoyutai state guesthouse as “extensive and constructive”.
He said that the two nations would have their first official discussions on controlling artificial intelligence in the upcoming weeks. As the technology develops quickly, this is a growing topic of worry.
However, Blinken issued a grim warning over China’s backing of Russia’s “brutal war of aggression” in Ukraine, claiming that although Beijing has refrained from directly exporting weapons, it has assisted Russia in stepping up the manufacturing of tanks, missiles, and drones.
This week, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced his May visit to China.
Blinken warned that the United States was prepared to take measures against Beijing if it did not take action itself, saying that Russia would find it difficult to continue its assault on Ukraine without China’s backing.
He said, however, that Wang had pledged to keep in contact about the Middle East, a top priority for Washington, and that China has previously been helpful, particularly in deterring Russia from using nuclear weapons.
Drawing attention to Iran’s ongoing covert struggle with Israel, Blinken stated: “I believe China’s relationships can be positive in trying to calm tensions, to prevent escalation, and avoid the spread of the conflict.”
Pres Xi Jinping told US Sec. of State Antony Blinken that the US should stop being two-faced, the duplicity of: "saying one thing and do another".
China and the US should be ‘partners, not rivals’ and that Beijing is ready to cooperate on the terms of an equal partnership. pic.twitter.com/E3HdKYcRA2
— Sbu Nyathi (@Sbu1Nyathi) April 26, 2024‘Responsibly’ filling in the gaps
According to US officials and analysts, Xi is primarily concerned with managing the economic challenges facing China and, for the time being at least, he is trying to prevent confrontations with the West.
Blinken stressed that China and the US should handle their relationship “responsibly” as he began his meeting with Wang. He also said, “I hope we make some progress on the issues that our leaders agreed on at the California summit.”
According to Blinken, two nations should be as transparent as possible about the areas in which they vary from one another. If nothing else, this will help to prevent miscommunication and incorrect computations.
Given the effect of our relationship, he added, we truly have a shared duty not just for individuals in our immediate community but also for people worldwide.
In November, Biden will face a challenging reelection battle against his predecessor, Donald Trump, who has painted China as an adversary and pledged to take a harsh stance. Biden and Xi recently spoke over the phone.
The Biden administration has highlighted its successes with China; Blinken, in particular, has drawn attention to China’s attempts to limit precursor chemicals to fentanyl, the opioid that is causing an epidemic in the United States.
He declared that he pleaded with China to pursue more legal actions.
Though willing to work with China, Biden has put more pressure on Beijing than Trump has in several instances.
In the most recent action, Biden backed a motion by the US Congress to compel TikTok to separate from the Chinese corporation ByteDance or face being banned from the country.
But according to Blinken, he did not bring up TikTok during his remarks.
US officials claim that the program, which has become popular among US teens, raises security and privacy issues.
ByteDance said it has no plans to sell and disputes the accusations.
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