The United States and China have made progress on issues “that matter to our people and matter to the world and reduce the risk of misunderstanding and miscalculation,” said Secretary of State Antony Blinken during his recent trip to China.
Since the Woodside summit where President Joe Biden and Xi Jinping met face-to-face, “we have advanced our cooperation on fentanyl and other synthetic drugs,” noted Secretary Blinken:
“Specifically, the PRC has issued a public notice to industry, it’s taken enforcement action against some companies that produce precursors – those are the chemical ingredients that make up synthetic drugs. And the U.S. and China have set up a joint Counternarcotics Working Group to collaborate on policy making and on law enforcement, and to share technical expertise.”
“Even as we seek to deepen cooperation where our interests align, the United States is very clear-eyed about the challenges posed by the PRC and about our competing visions for the future,” said Secretary Blinken:
“America will always defend our core interests and values. ... I reiterated our serious concern about the PRC providing components that are powering Russia’s brutal war of aggression against Ukraine.”
Secretary Blinken also discussed the PRC’s dangerous actions in the South China Sea:
“Freedom of navigation and commerce in these waterways is not only critical to the Philippines, but to the U.S. and to every other nation in the Indo-Pacific and indeed around the world. ... I made clear that while the U.S. will continue to work to de-escalate tensions, our defense commitments to the Philippines remain ironclad. I reaffirmed the U.S.’s ‘one China’ policy and stressed the critical importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.”
Secretary Blinken raised concerns about the erosion of Hong Kong’s autonomy and democratic institutions as well as ongoing human rights abuses in Xinjiang and Tibet.
Secretary Blinken urged China to use its influence to discourage Iran and its proxies from expanding the conflict in the Middle East, and to press North Korea to end its dangerous behavior and engage in dialogue.
The United States will continue to seek common ground with China where possible. At the same time the U.S. must continue to communicate clearly about policy differences in order to minimize the chance of miscalculation and misunderstandings.
