Blinken and Qin Gang meeting both sides agreed to maintain communication

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang held closed-door talks in Beijing on Sunday that lasted five and a half hours and were released simultaneously by officials from both countries on the same day.

The US State Department spokesman’s office said in a statement that Blinken held frank, substantive and constructive talks with Qin Gang. Blinken stressed the importance of diplomacy and maintaining open lines of communication on all issues to reduce the risk of misunderstanding and miscalculation.

Blinken made clear that the United States will always defend the interests and values of the American people and work with its Allies and partners to advance America’s vision of a world that is free, open, and upholds an international rules-based order.

Blinken also raised a range of issues of concern and explored opportunities for cooperation with China on common transnational issues where the interests of both sides coincide. Qin Gang expressed the importance of promoting people-to-people exchanges between the United States and China. Blinken also invited Qin Gang to Washington for further consultations, and the two sides agreed to exchange visits at an appropriate time.

Reuters on Sunday quoted unnamed State Department officials as saying that Blinken, in his meeting with Qin, expressed a desire to stabilize relations between the two countries and prevent competition from spiraling into conflict. Blinken made it “very clear” that the United States does not want to decouple from China, and the two sides agreed to continue talks to make progress on multiple fronts, the official said.

Chinese media reported that Qin Gang pointed out in the meeting that the current China-Us relations are at the lowest point since the establishment of diplomatic ties, which does not meet the fundamental interests of the two peoples and does not meet the common expectations of the international community. China is committed to building stable, predictable and constructive China-Us relations. We hope that the US side will uphold an objective and rational understanding of China, meet China halfway, maintain the political foundation of China-Us relations, and handle contingencies calmly, professionally and rationally.

The press release also said that Qin Gang also expounded China’s solemn position on the Taiwan issue and other core interests and major concerns, and made clear demands. Qin Gang pointed out that the Taiwan question is the core of China’s core interests, the most important issue in China-Us relations, and the most prominent risk. China urges the US side to abide by the One-China principle and the three China-Us joint communiques, and truly implement its commitment not to support “Taiwan independence”.

Blinken is the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit China since President Joe Biden took office, and the first U.S. Secretary of State to visit China in five years. Blinken had planned to visit China in February, but the trip was canceled after Chinese surveillance balloons flew over the United States.

French media reported that both sides focused on a positive assessment of the talks: “frank, substantive and constructive”, the apparent consensus is that the two sides agreed to continue the talks, and Qin Gang has accepted the invitation of the United States. However, some analysts believe that the prospects for a breakthrough on the most sensitive and thorny issues between the two countries are still very slim. There are also comments that “Blinken made a visit to Beijing without any illusions.”