Beijing, 26 April 2024 (Xinhua)

Antony Blinken arrived in China on Wednesday 24 April on 3-Day visit amid a worsening rift between world’s most powerful countries. Relations between China and the US had been warmer recently since the meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden in Woodside, California, in 2023 witnessed progress in relations made on people-to-people ties, more than doubling the number of flights between the two countries. 

Chinese President Xi Jinping said here Friday that China is happy to see a confident, open, prosperous and thriving  United States, and hopes the United States can also look at China’s development in a positive light.

“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 stabilize, improve and move forward,” Xi said when meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Noting that this year marks the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and the United States, Xi said over the past 45 years, the relationship has gone through winds and rains, and it has a number of important inspirations to offer.

Xi said China and the United States should be partners rather than rivals; help each other succeed rather than hurt each other; seek common ground and reserve differences, rather than engage in vicious competition; and honor words with actions, rather than say one thing but do the opposite.

“I proposed mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation to be the three overarching principles. They are both lessons learned from the past and a guide for the future,” Xi said.

At present, transformation not seen in a century is unfolding in a profound way, and the international situation is fluid and turbulent. It is the shared desire of both the two peoples and the international community to see China and the United States strengthen dialogue, manage differences and advance cooperation, Xi said.

“I’ve said many times that the planet is big enough to accommodate the common development and respective prosperity of China and the United States,” Xi said.

Xi recalled his meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden in San Francisco last year, when they launched the San Francisco vision that is future-oriented. In the last couple of months, the two teams have acted on the common understandings of the two heads of state, maintained communication in various areas, and made some good progress.

“But there are still issues to be addressed which require further efforts. Your visit this time was agreed upon between President Biden and I in our phone call several weeks ago. I hope you will find it productive,” Xi said.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken today, Friday in Beijing, demanded that the United States strictly abide by the one-China principle.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that the Taiwan question is the ‘first red line’ that must not be crossed in China-U.S. relations.

He said China demands that the United States should abide by the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiques in both words and deeds, refrain from sending wrong signals to the ‘Taiwan independence’ separatists in any way, act on U.S. President Joe Biden’s commitment of not supporting “Taiwan independence,” not supporting “two Chinas” or “one China, one Taiwan,” and not seeking to use the Taiwan question as a tool to contain China.

China also demands that the United States should stop arming Taiwan, and support China’s peaceful reunification, he added.

Reuters reported that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken raised concerns on Friday about China’s support for Russia’s military, one of the many issues threatening to sour the recent improvement in relations between the world’s biggest economies.

Blinken raised the matter during five-and-a-half hours of talks with China’s top diplomat Wang Yi in Beijing, the latest high-level contact between the countries that have reduced the acrimony that pushed ties to historic lows last year.

VOA reported that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday called on China to provide a level playing field for American workers and businesses. Blinken flew to Beijing after meeting with local government officials in the financial hub of Shanghai, home to more than 1,000 U.S. companies.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said that at a meeting with Shanghai Communist Party Secretary Chen Jining, Blinken advocated for American companies getting fair treatment. “In a constructive and candid exchange, the secretary raised concerns about PRC trade policies and non-market economic practices and stressed that the United States seeks a healthy economic competition with the PRC and a level playing field for U.S. workers and firms operating in China,” Miller said. He was referring to People’s Republic of China.

Responding later in the day, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Wang Wenbin told reporters that Beijing ‘has always been carrying out economic and trade cooperation in accordance with the principles of the market’.

VOA reported that during a discussion with U.S. and Chinese students from New York University Shanghai, Blinken underscored the importance of expanding exchanges between students, scholars, and business. ‘We need to make sure that we are talking to each other, hearing each other, understanding each other’, he said.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken talked in length to media a while before upon concluding his 3-Day visit to China. BBC reported key points from the press conference :

• In his talks with Chinese officials earlier today, Blinken said he raised concerns about their support for Russia in its war with Ukraine
• He also spoke to Chinese officials about “dangerous actions” in the South China Sea – noting tensions in the Taiwanese strait in recent months
• A potential TikTok ban did not come up in conversations between US and Chinese officials, he added
• China has a key role in exerting diplomatic influence to stop the Gaza conflict spreading into the wider Middle East region, Blinken said
• He also spoke of wanting China to discourage Iran from escalating tensions in the Middle East
• Blinken expressed desire for China and the US to have a strong economic partnership – but warned: “This has to be on a level playing field”

• He spoke after China’s leader said Beijing and Washington should not be rivals, but partners.

• Before wrapping up this press conference, Blinken is asked about China’s role in helping calm tensions in the conflict in Gaza.

  Blinken says he has spoken to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi about the war “several times”, adding he believes this is an area where China can exert influence to stop the conflict spreading in the region.

  Then, talking about Gaza protests in the US, he says it is not his practice to comment on domestic matters, but says people have “strong, passionate feelings” about what is happening in Gaza and the Middle East.

  Blinken says he understands these views, noting the deaths of women and children, and describes it as “gut-wrenching”. It is a “hallmark of our democracy” that Americans make their views and anger known, Blinken says as he reiterates they want this conflict to end.

  Blinken concludes by saying it is “notable there is silence about Hamas, as if not part of the story”.