President Biden said US-China relations are on the right track, showing that Secretary of State Blinken's visit to Beijing has had certain results.
"We're moving in the right direction," US President Joe Biden said on June 19, referring to relations with China. When asked by reporters if he felt like progress had been made, the White House boss replied, "I don't feel like, you know, progress has been made."
President Biden's comments came as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrapped up a two-day visit to China on the same day. Relations between the world's two largest economies have been strained over issues such as Taiwan, trade, and a host of other disagreements.
“He did a great job,” Mr. Biden commented on Mr. Blinken’s trip.
US President Joe Biden speaks in Palo Alto, California on June 19. Photo: AFP
Mr. Blinken is the first US Secretary of State to visit and meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping since Mr. Mike Pompeo visited Beijing in October 2018. Secretary of State Blinken previously met with his Chinese counterpart Qin Gang and Director of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission Wang Yi.
Xi Jinping said on June 19 that Beijing “does not seek to challenge or replace” Washington, calling on Blinken to make positive contributions to stabilizing China-US relations through his visit. The Chinese president added that the two countries “have made progress and reached agreements on some specific issues.”
Mr. Wang said that the US's misconceptions have caused bilateral relations to decline, calling on Washington to choose "cooperation or conflict, dialogue or confrontation". He said that China and the US need to reverse the downward trend in bilateral relations, coordinate to find the right direction for Beijing and Washington to harmonize, and issue warnings regarding the Taiwan issue.
Speaking at a press conference before leaving China, Mr. Blinken said Washington had achieved the goals set for the visit, including directly raising concerns, seeking to establish a dialogue channel and assessing areas of cooperation.
However, the US Secretary of State said there is still much work to be done. "The bilateral relationship is unstable, and both sides recognize that action is needed to stabilize the situation," Mr. Blinken said. "But this process is difficult and takes time, it cannot be created by just one visit, one exchange. My expectation is that the two sides will have better exchanges and communication in the future."
Nhu Tam (According to AFP, Reuters )
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