The US Secretary of State, Antony Blink, spoke with the Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, and “expressed concern about the continued military, diplomatic and economic pressure of the People’s Republic of China against Taiwan,” the State Department wrote in a statement.
The president of United States, Joe Biden, and his peer from China, Xi Jinping, are scheduled to hold a remote summit on Monday Washington time.
Blinken and Wang spoke on Friday to discuss preparations for the summit, with the secretary reported as “urging Beijing to engage in meaningful dialogue to resolve the issues in a peaceful manner and consistent with the wishes and interests of the Taiwanese people.”
In turn, Wang warned of the dangers of US actions that could be seen as supporting “Taiwan independence.”
“Any collusion and support for the ‘Taiwan independence’ forces undermines peace in the Taiwan Strait and will ultimately backfire,” Wang told Blinken, according to the Chinese government.
Relations between the world’s two largest economies have deteriorated, in part because of Taiwan, an autonomous democracy claimed by Beijing.
Last month, China’s military carried out a record number of sorties into the island’s air defense zone.
Washington has repeatedly voiced its support for Taiwan in the face of what it has described as Chinese aggression.
The State Department said Monday’s summit “represents a opportunity for the two leaders to discuss how to responsibly handle competition between the United States and the People’s Republic of China, while working together in areas where interests align. “
The presidents of both countries have spoken by phone twice since Biden arrived at the White House in January.
The two also met when Biden was Barack Obama’s vice president, and Xi was Hu Jintao’s vice president.
The US president had intended to meet his Chinese counterpart at the recent G20 summit in Rome, but Xi has not traveled since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Biden has largely held the same stance as his predecessor, the Republican Donald Trump, about Beijing. Both administrations consider that a rising China is America’s greatest challenge of the 21st century.
On Thursday, Xi warned against a return to Cold War-era divisions during a speech at a business conference parallel to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum summit.
“Attempts to draw ideological lines or form small circles for geopolitical reasons are destined to fail,” the Chinese president said.
Source From: Ambito
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