US-China relations: we must talk security, Wang Yi tells Antony Blinken

The meeting was the second time the pair had met in about a month, coming just weeks after Blinken’s two-day visit to China, which included talks with President Xi Jinping.

Wang said China and the US reached “some common understandings” after Blinken met Xi, calling it an “important step towards calibrating the giant ship of Sino-US ties”.

“The critical next step is to take real actions to put the bilateral relationship back on the right track. The US needs to reflect on the cause of the serious difficulties in China-US relations,” he said.

Wang also stressed Beijing’s position on Taiwan, urging Washington to avoid interfering in Beijing’s internal affairs or undermining its sovereignty.

Beijing views self-ruled Taiwan as a renegade province awaiting reunification with the mainland and has not ruled out the use of force to take control of it. Like most countries, the US does not recognise Taiwan as an independent state but is opposed to the use of force to change the status quo.

Wang said the US should stop “suppressing” China and lift “illegal and unwarranted sanctions” levied against China.

Both Beijing and Washington – as major countries with a huge sphere of influence – should respect the efforts of countries in the region and “avoid bringing disputes and complex factors” into regional cooperation, Wang said.