Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the sidelines of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly, calling for a 'rational understanding of China' from the United States. He stressed that Washington must stop presenting 'two faces' in its approach to China, balancing cooperation with confrontation.
During the meeting, Wang emphasized that the US cannot claim to seek dialogue while simultaneously engaging in actions that suppress China. “The United States should not always approach China with two faces: On the one hand suppressing China brazenly, and on the other hand, having dialogue and cooperation with China as if nothing is wrong”, Wang remarked.
He urged the US to adopt a coherent and respectful approach to bilateral relations, saying, “Since the US has repeatedly said that it has no intention of having a conflict with China, it should establish a rational perception of China from the root, build a correct way of getting along with China, conduct dialogue with a respectful attitude, promote cooperation based on mutual benefit, and handle differences with extreme caution, instead of acting from a 'position of strength".
Wang’s remarks come amid heightened tensions between the two countries over a range of issues, including trade, technology, and security in the Asia-Pacific region. The meeting was viewed as part of ongoing efforts to stabilize the fraught US-China relationship, which has been marked by trade disputes, military posturing, and disagreements over Taiwan.
On the sensitive Taiwan issue, Wang reaffirmed China’s position, urging the US to abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US Joint Communiqués. He stated that the US should halt arms sales to Taiwan, publicly oppose Taiwan independence, and support the peaceful reunification of China if it truly seeks peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. This issue remains a major sticking point in US-China relations, with Beijing consistently warning against any actions that could encourage Taiwanese separatism.
Addressing the ongoing trade and technology conflict, Wang condemned what he described as US suppression of China in these sectors. 'China is firmly opposed to US suppression in trade and technology', Wang said, adding that Beijing would 'never accept finger-pointing by human rights preachers' or interference in its domestic affairs under the guise of human rights advocacy.
Wang called for an end to US efforts to impose sanctions on China and to use human rights as a pretext to interfere in China's internal matters. He also stressed the importance of fostering people-to-people exchanges between the two nations, calling on the US to remove obstacles to such interactions with 'real actions'.
On the South China Sea issue, Wang reiterated China’s stance, emphasizing its commitment to resolving disputes through dialogue with the directly involved nations. He criticized the US for stirring up tensions in the region and undermining the efforts of Southeast Asian countries to maintain peace and stability.
In regard to Ukraine, Wang defended China's position, stating that it is 'aboveboard'. He urged the US to cease its attempts to scapegoat China and escalate tensions in the region through sanctions. “The United States should stop smearing, scapegoating and arbitrarily imposing sanctions on China”, he added.
Despite the tense rhetoric, both sides agreed that the meeting was candid and substantive. Wang and Blinken reaffirmed the need for China and the US to find a peaceful way to coexist, emphasizing dialogue and cooperation to manage differences and ensure the stable development of bilateral relations.
The two nations also agreed to continue implementing the agreements reached between Presidents Xi Jinping and Joe Biden during their meeting in San Francisco last November. Moving forward, both sides will maintain communication on international and regional issues, with plans to hold a new round of consultations on Asia-Pacific affairs in the near future.