China, US agree to keep talking amid frost in ties

Beijing, Oct 7 (EFE).- China and the United States agreed to maintain regular dialog after a “constructive” top-level meeting in Switzerland, the Chinese foreign ministry said Thursday.

The closed-door meeting between Chinese foreign policy chief Yang Jiechi and US national security Jake Sullivan took place in Zurich on Wednesday at a time of heightened tensions between the two largest economies over a range of issues, including trade, the South China Sea, and Taiwan.

“The two sides…agree(d) to maintain regular dialog and communication on important issues,” the Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement.

“(They) exchanged comprehensive, candid and in-depth views on China-US relations and international and regional issues of common concern,” the ministry statement said.

They agreed to implement the spirit of the Sep.9 call between President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Joe Biden.

The statement stressed that the two sides agreed to strengthen strategic communication, manage differences, avoid conflict and confrontation, seek mutual benefit, and work together to push China-US ties back on the right track.

The meeting was to ease tensions between the two countries sparked by trade disputes and differences over other issues like human rights, security, Hong Kong, Xinjiang, and Taiwan.

Earlier, Yang held a tense meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Alaska in March.

The Chinese statement did not mention a virtual meeting between Biden and Xi before the yearend as a senior US official had announced earlier.

Yang said China attached importance to recent positive statements on bilateral ties by Biden.

He noted that the US had stated that it did not intend to contain the Chinese development and would not engage in a “new cold war.”

Sullivan raised US concerns with Yang about human rights in Xinjiang and Hong Kong and the situation in the South China Sea.

“Yang explained Chinese position related to Taiwan, Hong Kong, Xinjiang, Tibet, South China Sea, and human rights, and demanded that the US truly respect The CHinese sovereignty, security and development interests.”

He urged Washington to stop using the issues to interfere in the internal affairs of China.

“The United States expressed its adherence to the one-China policy,” the statement said.

Taiwan is one of the major causes of the conflict between the two superpowers.

Washington is the top supplier of arms for Taiwan. EFE

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