Anthony Blinken shakes hands with Xi Jinping in Beijing. Photo: REUTERS
China issued an ultimatum to the United States on Monday, saying Washington must make a choice between «cooperation or conflict» before a meeting between US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The warning came from a senior Representative of Chinese Foreign Policy Wang Yi, for three hours of talks with Mr. Blinken.
Blinken, the highest-ranking US diplomat to visit China in five years, is on the last day of his two-day trip to improve bilateral relations, which have sunk to their lowest level in decades.
Meeting between Mr. Mr. Blinken and Mr. Xi were due to start this afternoon.
«A choice must be made between dialogue and confrontation, cooperation or conflict,» Mr. Wang told Mr. Blinken, according to Chinese government Media.
The minutes of this meeting in the US have not yet been published.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken shakes hands with China' Director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission Wang Yi. Photo: AFP Downward Spiral
«We must reverse the downward spiral of Sino-US relations, seek a return to a healthy and stable course, and work together to find the right path for China and the United States,» said Mr. Wang.
>< p>He also warned that there was «no room for China to compromise or give in» over Taiwan, an island nation with a democratically elected government that Beijing claims as its territory and has promised to annex.
Mr. Wang's words echo with the words of Qin Gang, Chinese Foreign Minister, with whom Mr. Blinken met on Sunday for more than seven and a half hours.
In recent years, relations between the US and China have deteriorated significantly on everything from trade to technology and Taiwan.
China has stepped up military exercises near Taiwan, a show of force that Taiwanese and foreign governments fear could provoke physical confrontations.
«Frank» discussions
U.S. officials say they don't expect major breakthroughs from Mr. Blinken, though they hope to restore high-level diplomatic contacts and pave the way for future visits and meetings between the two sides.
The two countries said Sunday that Mr. Qin has accepted an offer to visit the US at a later date.
These discussions were «frank, substantive and constructive,» said Matthew Miller, spokesman for the US State Department.Mr. Blinken emphasized «the importance of diplomacy and maintaining open channels of communication across the spectrum to reduce risk misperceptions and miscalculations,” he added.
His visit was originally scheduled for February, but was canceled after the US shot down a Chinese spy balloon, sparking a diplomatic row with Beijing.
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