Beijing has accused Washington of violating the protocol during the talks in Alaska as well as inappropriate treatment of the Chinese delegation, Chinese media reported on Friday.
“The Chinese mission has arrived at the [US] invitation in Anchorage with sincere intentions to hold strategic dialogue with the United States and was preparing [for the consultations] in line with the protocol earlier agreed by both parties,” a member of the Chinese delegation told China Central Television.
“However, the US party has significantly gone beyond the time limit during the opening speech resorting to baseless attacks and accusations concerning the Chinese foreign and internal policy, thus provoking a conflict. This is not in line with the ethics of the treatment of the guests and violates the diplomatic protocol. The Chinese party has made a harsh response,” the official said.
On Thursday, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Secretary of State Antony Blinken hosted a meeting in Alaska with a member of China’s Politburo Yang Jiechi and China’s foreign minister Wang Yi - the first event of its kind since the beginning of Joe Biden’s presidency.
A senior US administration official earlier issued a statement accusing China of "grandstanding" during the meeting, claiming that the Chinese delegation had apparently arrived "focused on public theatrics and dramatics over substance." The Chinese side said prior to the talks that it would suggest re-establishing regular high-level contacts and conducting an online summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US president Joe Biden.
According to China Central Television, the first session of the negotiations ended at about 5:00 pm [local time] on Thursday (01:00 on Friday GMT). Further details of the talks remain unknown.
Prior to the talks in Anchorage, Chinese Ambassador Cui Tiankai said Beijing does not have high expectations "or fantasies" about the first high-level meeting between the two states, but expressed hope that this one could be "a beginning". He also said that on matters concerning China's core interests, in particular, its sovereignty and territorial integrity, no compromises are possible.
