Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited China over the weekend and met with Chinese Communist President Xi Jinping to ‘ease tensions’ between the two nations.
“We have no illusions about the challenges of managing this relationship. There are many issues on which we profoundly, even vehemently, disagree,” Blinken said at a news conference.
“Had a candid, substantive, and constructive conversation with People’s Republic of China President Xi Jinping in Beijing today. We discussed a range of important issues, including the need to manage our relationship responsibly,” Blinken tweeted Monday morning.
Had a candid, substantive, and constructive conversation with People’s Republic of China President Xi Jinping in Beijing today. We discussed a range of important issues, including the need to manage our relationship responsibly. pic.twitter.com/Q8kuMm6kly
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) June 19, 2023
"Welcome to China"
Chinese President Xi Jinping shakes hands with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, as the pair meet in Beijing https://t.co/bHR1zwQU0w pic.twitter.com/SbmgZdiRu1
— Bloomberg TV (@BloombergTV) June 19, 2023
Taiwan independence remains a major topic amongst the two global powers.
NBC News reports:
Blinken then had a three-hour meeting on Monday with Wang Yi, China’s top diplomat, that appeared to be a little more fractious.
Wang blamed the United States’ “misperceptions” about China for the poor relations between the two countries and said Washington had to make a choice “between dialogue and confrontation, and cooperation and conflict.”
He emphasized China’s position on Taiwan, a self-ruling democracy that Beijing claims as its territory and whose status is one of the biggest flashpoints in U.S.-China relations.
China has accused the U.S., Taiwan’s most important international backer, of promoting Taiwan independence through official exchanges between the island’s president and senior U.S. officials such as Pelosi and her successor, Kevin McCarthy.
Blinken said he reiterated to Chinese officials that U.S. policy on Taiwan has not changed, while raising concerns by the U.S. and others over China’s “provocative” military actions in the Taiwan Strait in recent years.
During his visit, Blinken said “we do not support Taiwan independence.”
“We remain opposed to any unilateral changes to the status quo by either side,” he added.
WATCH:
Secretary of State Antony Blinken: "We do not support Taiwan independence." pic.twitter.com/4uA1fS8CkW
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) June 19, 2023
Blinken’s comments are an about-face from Joe Biden’s prior message regarding Taiwan.
Biden previously said U.S. forces would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion.
WATCH:
NPR reported last September:
President Biden says the U.S. will defend Taiwan if China stages an “unprecedented attack” on the island, his latest in a string of remarks over the past year that have been unusually explicit about America’s intentions in the face of growing pressure from Beijing.
In an interview with the CBS news show 60 Minutes that aired on Sunday, Biden was asked if U.S. forces would defend Taiwan — a self-ruled democracy that sits roughly 100 miles off the Chinese coast and is claimed by Beijing as part of China.
“Yes, if in fact, there was an unprecedented attack,” Biden replied.
Asked again if, unlike in Ukraine, U.S. forces would get involved in the event of a Chinese invasion, Biden replied: “Yes.”
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