Office of the Spokesperson
The following is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller:
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met with PRC Director of the CCP Central Foreign Affairs Commission and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Washington October 26-27.
The two sides met for more than seven hours over two days and had constructive and in-depth discussions, building on recent high-level meetings between the two countries as part of ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communication on a full range of issues and responsibly manage the U.S.-China relationship. The Secretary emphasized that the United States will continue to use diplomacy to advance U.S. interests and values. He noted that we both have a responsibility to manage our differences and to work together on issues that matter to our people and the world. The Secretary also reiterated the importance of resuming military-to-military channels to reduce the risk of miscalculation.
Secretary Blinken underscored that it remains a priority for the United States to resolve the cases of American citizens who are wrongfully detained or subject to exit bans in China.
The two sides discussed the importance of the United States and China taking concrete steps to disrupt the global flow of synthetic drugs and their precursor chemicals into the United States that fuels the fentanyl crisis. The Secretary noted that the two sides have worked together before to make progress on counternarcotics that has saved American lives and should do so again.
The two sides continued to discuss the development of principles to guide the bilateral relationship as discussed by President Biden and President Xi in Bali last November. Reiterating the importance of ties between the people of the United States and the PRC, both sides welcomed strengthening people-to-people exchanges between students, scholars, and business, including working to increase the number of direct flights between our two countries.
The Secretary raised concerns about PRC human rights violations in Xinjiang, Tibet, and Hong Kong, as well as individual cases of concern. On respective economic policies, the Secretary stressed that the United States seeks healthy and robust economic competition with the PRC based on reciprocity and a level playing field for U.S. workers and businesses. He addressed the PRC’s unfair treatment of U.S. companies in China and nonmarket economic practices. The Secretary discussed the U.S. approach to de-risking and diversifying and underscored that our policies are narrowly targeted at technologies that have clear national security or human rights impacts and not about containing China’s economic growth.
The two sides exchanged views on a range of regional and global issues. The Secretary reiterated U.S. support for Israel’s right to defend itself and emphasized the importance of all countries – particularly permanent members of the United Nations Security Council –unequivocally denouncing Hamas’s terrorist attacks and using their influence to prevent escalation and expansion of the conflict. The Secretary detailed U.S. efforts to enable humanitarian assistance and protect civilian lives. The two sides discussed Russia’s war against Ukraine, as well as the DPRK’s missile launches in violation of UN Security Council Resolutions and other provocative actions.
The Secretary underscored the United States’ concerns with the PRC’s dangerous and unlawful actions obstructing an October 22 Philippine resupply mission to Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea, reaffirmed our commitments to our Philippine allies, and raised broader concerns about PRC actions in the South and East China Seas. The Secretary emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
The two sides discussed the importance of working together to address other shared challenges, including climate, noting the importance of an ambitious outcome at the upcoming COP28, as well as global macroeconomic stability, food security, public health, and counternarcotics.
Both sides reiterated their commitment to maintaining open lines of communication across the full range of issues, and look forward to additional engagements and consultations, to include arms control, maritime, policy planning, and disability, in the coming weeks.
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