US and China Foreign Ministers Meet at G20... Blinken Opposes Actions Escalating Taiwan Strait Tensions

US and China Foreign Ministers Meet at G20 Summit After 7 Months
Both Sides Reaffirm 'One China' Principle...Assessment That Red Lines Were Not Crossed

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suhwan] The U.S. and Chinese foreign ministers, meeting face-to-face for the first time in seven months, clashed over the Taiwan Strait issue.

However, both sides reaffirmed the "One China" principle, which does not recognize Taiwan as a separate country, leading to assessments that the red line was not crossed.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met for about an hour on the 31st (local time) in Rome, Italy, on the sidelines of the G20 summit.

This was their first in-person meeting in seven months since the talks held in Alaska, U.S., in March.

On this day, Secretary Blinken expressed opposition to China's actions that escalate tensions in the Taiwan Strait.

In particular, a senior U.S. State Department official said the U.S. government made it "crystal clear" that it opposes any unilateral actions that change the status quo.

This was a stern warning regarding the increasing level of China's military demonstrations toward Taiwan, including the large-scale entry of Chinese military aircraft, including attack helicopters, into Taiwan's Air Defense Identification Zone since October.

However, the U.S. State Department official emphasized that the U.S. government wants to manage relations with China stably and reaffirmed the importance of communication between the two sides.

On the Chinese side, the U.S. government was told that the Taiwan issue is a "sensitive matter" and was effectively asked not to interfere.

According to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Minister Wang warned that "the United States has infringed upon China's legitimate rights and interests" and that "if handled improperly, it will cause subversive and comprehensive destruction to China-U.S. relations."

He also rebutted, saying, "Recently, the situation in the Taiwan Strait has again fallen into a state of tension, and the U.S. repeatedly claims that this is due to China's change of the status quo. This is completely untrue and seriously misleads the international community."

Meanwhile, Secretary Blinken reportedly also pressured China on human rights issues such as Hong Kong and the Xinjiang Uyghur situation.

Ned Price, spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, released a statement immediately after the talks, saying, "Secretary Blinken raised concerns about a series of Chinese actions that run counter to the values and interests of us, our allies, and partners, and undermine the rules-based international order, including those related to human rights, Xinjiang, Tibet, Hong Kong, the East China Sea and South China Sea, and Taiwan."

The Biden administration once again put issues it has raised with China on the table and pressured China.

However, both sides reached a consensus on the "One China" principle, which does not regard Taiwan as a separate independent country, and are assessed to have effectively maintained the red line.

A senior U.S. State Department official said that Secretary Blinken made it clear that the U.S. has not changed its "One China" policy regarding Taiwan.

Previously, the U.S. government has maintained a stance of strategic ambiguity on the Taiwan issue. In particular, the U.S. has not clearly stated whether U.S. forces would directly defend Taiwan if China invades.

Secretary Blinken said, "Taiwan has the capability to defend itself," and "We will focus on ensuring that no one destroys the status quo of the Taiwan issue through unilateral actions."

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs also confirmed, saying, "The Taiwan issue is the most sensitive issue in China-U.S. relations," and "Secretary Blinken stated that he will continue to adhere to the One China policy."

As the two sides exchanged views without crossing the red line, there are expectations that follow-up discussions on the Taiwan issue will continue at the China-U.S. summit to be held via video conference within the year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.