US Secretary Blinken meets China’s Wang Yi on sidelines of ASEAN Foreign Ministers Summit

Asia-Pacific, News, US July 14, 2023 , by IRIA No Comments

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with China’s top diplomat Wang Yi on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Summit in Jakarta, on July 13, 2023. This is the second meeting between Wang and Blinken in a span of less than a month.

According to the U.S. State Department spokesperson Mathew Miller, the two diplomats had a “candid and constructive discussion” that covered both areas of difference and potential cooperation.

“The meeting was part of ongoing efforts to maintain open channels of communication to clarify U.S. interests across a wide range of issues and to responsibly manage competition by reducing the risk of misperception and miscalculation,” Miller said. He also highlighted that Blinken emphasized the importance of “maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.”

China’s Foreign Ministry also released a statement regarding the meeting. According to the statement, Wang told Blinken that the key to bringing the U.S.-China relationship “back on the right track” was taking practical actions. It also highlighted said the United States should “adopt a rational and pragmatic attitude (and) meet China halfway.”

“The United States must refrain from wantonly interfering in China’s internal affairs, refrain from compromising China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, stop suppressing China’s economy, trade and technology, and lift illegal and unreasonable sanctions against China.”

This was the second high-level meeting between the U.S. and Chinese top diplomats in less than a month. The meeting came at a time when the U.S. is accusing China of being involved in a cyberattack that resulted in the breach of email accounts linked with U.S. government agencies. The U.S. Secretary of State raised the issues with Wang Yi during his meeting.

^{The Chinese delegation led by Wang Yi, Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CCP Central Committee, holding a meeting with the U.S. delegation led by Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Jakarta on July 13, 2023. (Image Credit: Twitter/@China Daily)}

Blinken visited China last month marking the first visit from a U.S. Secretary of State to Beijing in more than five years. The visit was aimed at easing up the growing rivalry between the U.S. and China and opening channels of diplomatic communication.

Following Blinken’s partially successful visit to Beijing, the U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen visited China this month while the climate envoy John Kerry is set to visit China next week. Analysts see the increased meetings as a part of efforts to clear the way for a summit between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping which is expected to take place later this year. However, the tension remains high.

Wang meets with Russia’s Lavrov

During his stay in Jakarta, Wang Yi also met with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Wang Yi highlighted the importance of high-level contacts between Beijing and Moscow in the coming months, while Sergey Lavrov called the meeting ‘timely’.

^{Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Director of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee Foreign Affairs Commission Office Wang Yi met on the sidelines of the #ASEAN ministerial events in Jakarta, on July 13, 2023. (Image Credit: Twitter/Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia)}

China’s Foreign Ministry statement said Wang Yi emphasized that “the two sides should follow the important consensus reached by the heads of state, maintain high-level exchanges, and strengthen strategic communication and coordination.”

ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting

The 56th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ meeting took place in Jakarta, Indonesia, on July 11-12, 2023. The Meeting was chaired by Indonesia under the theme “ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth.”

The ASEAN meeting was focused on reaffirming regional states’ commitment to strengthen ASEAN as an organization and its capacity and institutional effectiveness to address growing challenges as well as to remain credible and relevant for its people, the region, and the world while continuing to serve as the region’s epicenter of growth and prosperity.