On April 26, 2024, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with senior officials of the Chinese Communist Party in Beijing, where he warned of the dangers of misunderstanding and misjudgment between the US and China.
Blinken first held meetings with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Minister of Public Security Zhao Kezhi. It was revealed that Blinken would also meet with the Chinese Communist Party leader, Xi Jinping, before leaving China, although this meeting was not publicly announced beforehand.
According to a report from the Chinese state media CCTV, Xi Jinping met with US Secretary of State Blinken at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Friday afternoon.
During a press conference prior to the meeting with Wang Yi, Blinken reiterated that his purpose for the visit was to advance the agreements reached by US and Chinese leaders in San Francisco last year. This includes resuming anti-drug cooperation, restarting military dialogues, and discussing the future and risks of artificial intelligence (AI), as well as “responsibly managing the differences between the US and China.”
Blinken emphasized the importance of face-to-face diplomacy in ensuring clear understanding of disagreements to avoid misunderstandings and misjudgments. He stated, “This is indeed our shared responsibility, not only for our own people but also for the people of the whole world, as the relationship between our two countries impacts the world.”
“I look forward to clearly and directly stating our areas of disagreement and the stance of the United States in these discussions,” Blinken said. “I have no doubt you will do the same on behalf of China.”
Prior to the meeting, Wang Yi also mentioned that while the current US-China relationship has become more stable, there are still accumulating “negative factors.”
In recent months, there have been increased talks between the US and China, but so have the disagreements grown. Both Blinken and Wang Yi emphasized the importance of maintaining communication, yet they both expressed grievances over deepening US-China divisions.
Earlier this week, US President Biden signed a large-scale foreign aid bill, allocating $8 billion to counterbalance China in Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific region.
Their remarks hinted at a string of unresolved disputes, including issues related to Taiwan and the South China Sea, trade and human rights, Chinese support for Russia, as well as the production and export of fentanyl precursors.
The US State Department later stated that Blinken and Wang Yi had engaged in in-depth, substantive, and constructive discussions on areas of disagreement and cooperation, with Blinken clearly standing firm on issues of concern to the US.
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller emphasized that Blinken “emphasized that the United States will continue to defend our interests and values, including human rights and economic issues, along with our allies and partners.”