China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi begins a long-awaited visit to Washington by saying the US and China need “in-depth” and “comprehensive” talks to resolve their differences.
Antony Blinken, Secretary of State of the United States of America, and Wang Yi, Foreign Minister of China, shake hands during a meeting at the State Department in Washington, United States. (Source: Today Online)
Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi in His Hopes for China-US Better Relations
China’s top diplomat made a rare trip to Washington to prepare for President Xi Jinping’s possible visit and expressed hope for better relations with the US after months of upheaval. Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomed Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday, promising “constructive conversations” over dinner and more formal negotiations. Wang told Blinken, who visited Beijing in June, that China wished to “reduce misunderstanding.” He told Blinken that they are looking to expand mutually beneficial cooperation to stabilize US-China ties and return them to a path of healthy, stable, and sustainable development. Blinken indeed agrees with the foreign minister.
President Joe Biden has invited Xi to San Francisco for APEC, but he has also maintained targeted sanctions and supported US allies in disputes with Beijing. The White House will host Wang and Sullivan on Friday. Xi is set to meet Biden after receiving Blinken in Beijing. After COVID-19, economic policy analysts believe the US did better than China. On Monday, US and Chinese officials discussed macroeconomics online.
US officials also planned to discuss Taiwan and the South and East China Seas, where Beijing has taken “destabilizing and dangerous actions” against competing territory claimants. They said reestablishing military-to-military contacts with China is crucial to avert inadvertent confrontation.
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