Blinken Claims US Not Seeking New Cold War Nor to Change Chinese System
10:46 GMT 19.06.2023 (Updated: 13:31 GMT 19.06.2023)
© AP Photo / Leah Millis
Subscribe
BEIJING (Sputnik) - The United States does not seek a new cold war and does not want to change the Chinese system, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated on Monday.
During a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the US official said that the US is committed to returning to the agenda set by the leaders of the two countries at the 2022 G20 summit in Bali.
He noted that Washington remains committed to the commitments made by President Joe Biden that the US does not seek a new cold war, does not seek to change the Chinese system, and does not seek to resist China by strengthening its allied relations, as quoted by the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
Additionally, the official said that the US does not support the independence of Taiwan, nor it plans to enter into conflict with China. However, the top US diplomat voiced concern to the Chinese side on "provocative" actions in the Taiwan Strait.
19 June 2023, 07:13 GMT
Blinken highlighted that during his visit to Beijing he had "candid [and] in-depth" conversations with senior Chinese officials. Speaking about a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping Blinken noted that "We both agreed on the need to stabilize our relationship."
Blinken also said that it is essential to maintain communications between the US and Chinese military.
"It is absolutely vital that we have this kind of communications, military and military, that imperative I think was only underscored by recent incidents that we saw in the air and on the seas," Blinken told reporters as he was wrapping up his two-day visit to China.
The American diplomat admitted that the US would welcome China playing a constructive role in the Ukrainian peace effort.
Blinken told a news conference that he had come to China to strengthen high-level channels of communication by holding talks with President Xi Jinping, China's top diplomat Wang Yi and Foreign Minister Qin Gang.
"During those meetings, we had a robust conversation about regional and global challenges," Blinken said, adding that included the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.
"I reiterated that we would welcome China playing a constructive role, along with other nations, to work toward a just peace based on the principles of the United Nations charter," he told reporters.
China has provided assurance that it will not provide lethal weapons to Russia not only to the US, but to other countries, Blinken told reporters.
"With regard to assurances on providing lethal assistance to Russia for use in Ukraine, this is not new today, this is something that China has said in recent weeks and has repeatedly said not only to us but to many other countries that raised this concern that they are not [providing] and will not provide lethal assistance to Russia for use in Ukraine," Blinken said.
The US State Secretary also underlined that he had discussed food security with the Chinese side and stressed the importance of extending the grain deal.
"On food security, we believe China can play a key role in alleviating global food insecurity. I underscore the importance of supporting a long-term expansion of the Black Sea grain initiative, which is facilitated the export of almost 32 million tonnes of grain from Ukraine, with approximately 18 million tonnes going to developing countries," Blinken said during a press conference after the meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, China's Director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission Wang Yi and Foreign Minister Qin Gang in Beijing.
The grain deal was brokered by the UN and Turkey in July 2022 to facilitate the export of agricultural products from ports in the Black Sea during hostilities in Ukraine. The package agreement also included a memorandum of understanding between Russia and the UN to unblock Russian grain and fertilizer exports via the Black Sea.
In mid-May, the grain deal was extended until July 17 without any changes. The Russian Foreign Ministry warned that Moscow would block the extension of the deal if its concerns about the implementation of clauses on Russian agricultural exports were not addressed.
Xi: Future of Mankind Depends on China, US Being Able to Coexist in Right Way
The Chinese leader in turn said that the future and the fate of humanity depend on whether China and the United States will find a right way to coexist.
"The future and destiny of mankind depends on whether the United States and China can find the right path to coexistence," Xi said during the meeting with Antony Blinken in Beijing.
The Chinese leader stressed that the common interests of the two nations should be valued and that the success of one of the countries is an opportunity, not a threat to another one.
Beijing respects Washington's interests and will not challenge or try to replace them, Xi said, adding that the US should likewise respect China and not prejudice its legitimate rights and interests.
Xi pointed out that the international community is concerned about the state of relations between Washington and Beijing.
"Now the international community is concerned about the relationship between China and the United States, it does not want to see confrontations between the two countries, does not want to choose one of the parties, hopes for peaceful coexistence, friendship and cooperation between China and the United States," Xi was quoted as saying a Chinese broadcaster.
Beijing hopes Washington will take a rational and pragmatic stance towards China, the president said at the meeting.
President Xi also expressed hope that relations between China and the United States can overcome all difficulties.
"China hopes that China-US relations will be healthy and stable, and believes that the two major powers can overcome all difficulties and find the right way to get along with each other on the basis of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and mutually beneficial cooperation," Xi said.
