On Saturday, July 27, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Vientiane, Laos during the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, against the backdrop of escalating competition between the US and China in Asia and increasing regional tensions. According to statements from both sides, Blinken and Wang discussed three major issues: Taiwan, the South China Sea, and the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The US State Department stated on Saturday that Blinken and Wang had a “frank and fruitful” discussion on important bilateral, regional, and global issues.
Laos was the first stop of Blinken’s week-long visit to Asia. He is also scheduled to visit Vietnam, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore, and Mongolia. During his presidency, Biden has been advocating for deepening ties with the Philippines, Japan, and South Korea, which has sparked strong discontent from China.
The US State Department’s statement said Blinken clearly expressed to Wang that the US will work with allies and partners to advance a vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
“He (Blinken) emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,” the statement said.
According to Reuters, Blinken and Wang’s meeting lasted about 1 hour and 20 minutes. A senior US State Department official revealed that the top diplomats from the US and China had extensive discussions on the Taiwan issue; Blinken expressed concerns about recent “provocative actions” by China.
The official explained that these provocative actions include simulated blockades by the Chinese military around Taiwan during President Tsai Ing-wen’s inauguration ceremony.
According to a statement from the Chinese Foreign Ministry regarding Wang Yi’s meeting with Blinken, Wang once again raised the goal of reunifying Taiwan and stated that “Taiwan independence” and peace in the Taiwan Strait are irreconcilable.
“The Secretary reiterated that the United States will continue to take necessary actions to defend our interests and values, as well as those of our allies and partners, including human rights,” the US State Department statement said. “The Secretary expressed concerns about the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) destabilizing actions in the South China Sea, including those on Ren’ai Reef, and reaffirmed US support for freedom of navigation and overflight, and for the peaceful resolution of disputes based on international law.”
Before his meeting with Wang Yi on Saturday, Blinken urged Southeast Asian countries at a meeting with ASEAN foreign ministers to work together to address challenges, including China’s “escalating illegal actions in the South China Sea against the Philippines.”
According to a statement from the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Wang Yi pointed out during the meeting regarding Ren’ai Reef that China has reached a temporary arrangement with the Philippines to control the situation, and the Philippines should keep its promises and not send construction materials, while the US should not sow discord.
In recent years, relations between China and the Philippines have rapidly deteriorated due to the issue of Ren’ai Reef. The reef is located within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone approved by the United Nations, but China claims sovereignty and has deployed a large number of ships to patrol the area, using water cannons and other tools to obstruct the Philippines from resupplying a World War II warship stranded on the reef. China’s assertiveness has drawn condemnation from the US.
According to the US State Department’s statement, concerning the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Blinken reiterated the US’s “serious concerns” about China’s support for Russia’s defense industrial base and explicitly stated that if China “fails to take action to address this threat to European security, the US will continue to take appropriate measures.”
A US State Department official disclosed that Wang Yi did not make any commitments to the US regarding this issue during the meeting.
“The Secretary raised concerns and reiterated that we have taken actions and if we don’t see appropriate action by China, we will continue to take action,” the official said.
In recent months, the US and the EU have accused China of supporting Russia’s defense sector through the export of dual-use products and have sanctioned dozens of related companies in Hong Kong and mainland China.
During the NATO Summit held in the US from July 9 to 11, the summit leaders released a joint statement accusing China of enabling Russia’s war machine, which is a “decisive” factor in Russia’s continued war on Ukraine. The statement also blamed China for providing “extensive support to Russia’s defense industrial base.”
Apart from the above-mentioned issues, Blinken also raised US concerns about human rights issues in Hong Kong and Tibet to Wang Yi, and emphasized that the Chinese government needs to make more progress in combating drugs (including precursor chemicals for fentanyl flowing out of China).
A US State Department official stated that Blinken proposed specific law enforcement actions and additional arrangements China could take.
Blinken and Wang Yi also discussed provocative actions by North Korea, the situation in Myanmar, and the conflict in Ethiopia. Blinken also emphasized to Wang Yi that resolving cases of US citizens being wrongly detained or prevented from leaving China remains a top priority.
Despite the Biden administration’s efforts to stabilize US-China relations, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, China’s provocative actions in the South China Sea, and military threats to Taiwan have led to continuing tensions between the US and China.