U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (2nd R), along with National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan (R), speaks before Yang Jiechi (2nd L), director of the Central Commission office of ‘Foreign Affairs, and Wang Yi (L), Chinese Foreign Minister at the inaugural session of the US-China talks at the Captain Cook Hotel in Anchorage, Alaska, on March 18, 2021.
Frederic J. Brown | AFP | Getty Images
BEIJING – The first high-level meeting of Chinese and American officials led by President Joe Biden kicked off with an exchange of insults at a pre-meeting press conference in Alaska on Thursday.
According to NBC News, a scheduled four-minute photo shoot to address reporters ended an hour and 15 minutes due to a frothy exchange. Both the Chinese and American sides continued to call reporters into the room so they could add comments.
Expectations were already low for the meeting in Anchorage, Alaska, with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and Yang Jiechi, director of the Central Foreign Affairs Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.
In his initial statements, Blinken said the U.S. would discuss its “deep concerns with China’s actions, including those in Xinjiang, Hong Kong, Taiwan, cyberattacks in the United States, economic coercion toward our allies.”
“Each of these actions jeopardizes the rule-based order that maintains global stability. That’s why they’re not merely internal issues and why we feel compelled to raise those issues here today,” Blinken said. “I said the U.S. relationship with China will be competitive where it should be collaborative, the word can be the opposite, where it should be.”
Beijing considers the problems of Xinjiang, Hong Kong and Taiwan as part of its internal affairs, and officials reiterated at the meeting that China is strongly opposed to foreign interference.
Yang said the American band “carefully orchestrated” the dialogue, according to an official translation reported by NBC.
“I think we’ve thought too well about the United States, we’ve thought the U.S. side will follow the necessary diplomatic protocols,” Yang said, adding that “the United States doesn’t have the qualifications to say they want to talk to the China from a position of strength “.
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not comment immediately.
Blinken arrived in Alaska recently from a trip to Japan and South Korea. He told his Chinese counterparts that what he felt from other countries was very different from what Wang described as hopes of demonstrations of goodwill and sincerity between the US and China.
“I am feeling deep satisfaction with the United States again that we are committed to our allies and partners,” Blinken said. “I also feel a deep concern for some of the actions your government is taking. And we will have a chance to discuss them when we get to work.”
The first round of talks between the two countries ended after more than three hours. The two-day talks will end on Friday.
Tensions between the United States and China have risen in recent years under former President Donald Trump, who used tariffs and sanctions to address persistent complaints about China’s lack of intellectual property protection. the requirements of forced technology transfer and other unfair business practices. The dispute initially focused on trade, before covering the technology, finances, and origins of the coronavirus pandemic.
Just as Biden opened, Beijing announced sanctions on 28 people, including several members of the Trump administration. Days before the first high-level meeting between the two countries, the Biden administration announced sanctions on 24 Chinese officials.
Analysts have expected Biden to take a more measured approach and work more closely with US allies to put pressure on China.