On Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken held meetings in Beijing with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, as part of ongoing high-level engagements aimed at managing the strained relations between the two superpowers.
The discussions yielded minimal advancements on several contentious matters, such as China’s backing of Russia in Ukraine, disputes over Taiwan and the South China Sea, and American grievances over inexpensive Chinese exports. Nonetheless, there was an attempt to improve the atmosphere by focusing on educational and cultural exchanges. Following are details of some of the issues:
UKRAINE AND CHINA’S SUPPORT FOR RUSSIA
Blinken raised concerns about China’s support for Russia’s military, saying its supply of so-called dual-use goods was “having a material effect in Ukraine” and raising the threat Russia poses to countries in Europe.
“China is the top supplier of machine tools, microelectronics, nitrocellulose, which is critical to making munitions and rocket propellants, and other dual-use items that Moscow is using to ramp up its defence industrial base,” Blinken told a news conference.
He did not respond when asked whether Washington would impose sanctions over China’s support for Russia, which U.S. officials warn risks hurting the broader bilateral relationship, even as ties stabilise.
China says it has not provided weapons to any party and that it is “not a producer of or party involved in the Ukraine crisis”. However, it says that normal trade between China and Russia should not be interrupted or restricted.
TAIWAN
China’s senior diplomat, Wang Yi, stated that the U.S. must avoid crossing “red lines” concerning issues of sovereignty, security, and development interests. This statement is a likely allusion to Taiwan—a democratically governed island that China considers part of its territory—and the contested South China Sea.
Amidst concerns heightened by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, there is increased apprehension that China may feel encouraged to take action against Taiwan. By law, the U.S. is obligated to supply Taiwan with the necessary means for its defence.
President Joe Biden, who had a meeting with Xi Jinping in San Francisco in November, has stated that while Washington does not endorse Taiwan’s independence, his comments suggesting that the U.S. would defend Taiwan if attacked have irritated Beijing.
Adding to the tensions, just hours before Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s arrival in China on Wednesday, President Biden signed legislation that allocates $8 billion to counter China’s military capabilities. This bill also includes billions in defence aid for Taiwan and $61 billion for Ukraine.
ECONOMIC RELATIONS
China and the United States are the world’s two largest economies and still have robust trade ties. These have been hit by U.S. concerns about the size of its trade deficit with China, Washington’s imposition of restrictions on trade in goods that could bolster China’s military, and efforts to diversify supply chains away from China since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Wang said the U.S. had taken “endless” measures to suppress China’s economy, trade, science and technology, equating such steps to containment. Xi reiterated Beijing’s concerns that the U.S. was suppressing its economic development.
“This is a fundamental issue that must be addressed, just like the first button of a shirt that must be put right, in order for the China-U.S. relationship to truly stabilise, improve and move forward,” Xi said.
DRUGS AND OTHER ISSUES
Curbing China’s supply of the chemicals used to make fentanyl, a killer drug having a devastating effect among American youth, has been a top U.S. priority.
During his three-day trip, Blinken met China’s minister of public security, Wang Xiaohong, to discuss the issue.
He said China has made some progress dealing with what he called the number-one killer of Americans between the ages of 18 and 45, but “more needs to be done.”
Blinken also said the countries also agreed to hold their first talks on artificial intelligence in coming weeks.
PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE TIES
To lighten the mood after days of serious engagement, Blinken popped into a Beijing record store and bought an album by Chinese rocker Dou Wei and Taylor Swift’s “Midnights.”
One of the aims of his trip has been to emphasise the importance of “people-to-people ties” in improving relations.
Blinken, a keen musician and guitar player, described music as “the best connector, regardless of geography.”
Blinken mentioned that Xi Jinping expressed a desire to “significantly increase” the number of American students studying in China. Currently, there are more than 290,000 Chinese students in the United States, but fewer than 900 Americans are studying in China.
With Inputs From Reuters
