Washington/Beijing:
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stressed the will need for cooperation and transparency more than the origins of COVID-19 in a contact with Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi on Friday and raised other contentious subjects, like China’s therapy of Uyghur Muslims, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Yang, China’s leading diplomat, expressed to Blinken Beijing’s significant concern that some persons in the United States had been spreading the “absurd story” about the coronavirus escaping from a Wuhan laboratory, Chinese state media mentioned.
Yang, head of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission of China’s ruling Communist Party, also told Blinken that Washington ought to deal with Taiwan-associated challenges “carefully and appropriately,” state broadcaster CCTV reported.
The contact came ahead of a G7 summit in Britain attended by U.S. President Joe Biden that is anticipated to be dominated by Washington-led efforts to counter China’s increasing influence.
The world’s two biggest economies are deeply at odds more than challenges ranging from trade and technologies to human rights and the coronavirus. Washington ought to work with Beijing to place ties “back on track,” Yang mentioned.
Yang, who had a fiery exchange with Blinken in Alaska in March for the duration of the Biden administration’s initial higher-level meeting with its Chinese counterparts, mentioned Beijing firmly opposed what he referred to as “abominable actions” more than the pandemic, which he mentioned had been becoming used to slander China, CCTV mentioned.
The State Department mentioned the diplomats also discussed North Korea policy and that Blinken expressed U.S. issues more than the deterioration of democratic norms in Hong Kong and what Washington describes as the genocide of Muslim Uyghurs in China’s Xinjiang area.
Blinken also referred to as on China to quit its stress campaign against Taiwan and to release “wrongfully detained” U.S. and Canadian citizens, it mentioned in a statement.
“Respect Facts And Science”
The State Department mentioned the discussion on North Korea – an concern on which the United States is keen for more Chinese action to press its ally and neighbor to give up its nuclear weapons – focused on the will need for Beijing and Washington “to work together for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.”
It mentioned the two diplomats also continued discussions on shared worldwide challenges, like Iran and Myanmar, and the climate crisis.
“Addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, the Secretary stressed the importance of cooperation and transparency regarding the origin of the virus, including the need for WHO Phase 2 expert-led studies in China,” it mentioned, referring to the World Health Organization.
Bonnie Glaser, an Asia specialist at the German Marshall Fund of the United States feel tank, mentioned that even though the agenda integrated possible locations of cooperation, the conversation appeared dominated by contentious challenges.
She mentioned Yang’s contact for Washington to work with Beijing to place ties “back on track” indicated China was nonetheless placing the onus on the United States for the troubles in the relationship.
“That’s a non-starter, but demonstrates that the Chinese are sticking to their tried-and-true diplomatic approaches, even though they are not successful.”
A report on the origins of COVID-19 by a U.S. government national laboratory concluded the hypothesis of a viral leak from a Wuhan lab was plausible and deserved additional investigation, the Wall Street Journal mentioned on Monday.
“We urge the United States to respect facts and science, refrain from politicizing the issue … and focus on international cooperation in the fight against the pandemic,” Yang mentioned.
His comments on Taiwan followed a check out to the Chinese-claimed island last weekend by 3 U.S. senators on a U.S. military aircraft. They met Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and announced the donation to Taiwan of 750,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine, drawing a sharp rebuke from China’s defense ministry.
In addition to coinciding with Biden’s initial overseas trip as president to attend the G7 summit, the contact comes as Washington has been pushing policies to address challenges from China.
In the previous eight days, Biden updated an executive order banning U.S. investment in businesses linked to China’s military and rolled out methods aimed at China to shore up U.S. provide chains. His trade representative Katherine Tai held a contact with Taiwan, the Pentagon wrapped up a China policy evaluation, and the Senate passed a sweeping package of China-focused legislation.
Eric Sayers, a going to fellow at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, mentioned all that amounted to very good timing for the administration to have an exchange with Beijing.
“The White House should feel more confident taking these calls and letting Beijing run down their stale talking points,” Sayers mentioned.
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