China's Qinjiang Talks with Blinken: "US Must Stop Interfering in Internal Affairs"

Successful Phone Call Between Foreign Ministers of Both Countries
Qin Gang Conveys China's Position on Cross-Strait Issues
US Emphasizes Maintaining Diplomatic Channels
Expectations for Blinken's China Visit Schedule Coordination

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang reportedly urged U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to stop interfering in China's internal affairs during a phone call.

On the 14th, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Qin conveyed China's position on key issues surrounding U.S.-China relations to Secretary Blinken. He stated, "We expressed a solemn stance on core Chinese concerns such as the Taiwan issue," emphasizing, "The United States must cease interfering in China's internal affairs and stop undermining China's sovereignty, security, and interests."

Qin Gang, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister [Photo by AP]

Qin also said, "China has always viewed and handled China-U.S. relations based on the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation as proposed by President Xi Jinping," urging, "We hope the two countries can effectively manage differences, promote exchanges and cooperation, and return China-U.S. relations to a healthy and stable development track."

The U.S. side also issued a statement under the name of Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State, stating that Secretary Blinken discussed the importance of maintaining communication channels with Qin. The State Department explained that the two foreign ministers "discussed a range of bilateral and global issues," and "the United States made clear its intention to continue diplomatic engagement not only in potential areas of cooperation but also in areas of concern."

Some analysts suggest that this call may be part of coordinating Blinken's upcoming visit to Beijing on the 18th, as reports about his visit have been increasing.

U.S.-China relations deteriorated following the 'surveillance balloon' incident in February, but recently, a reconciliation trend has been detected as key diplomatic and security officials from both countries held a surprise meeting. Last month, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, met in Vienna, Austria. According to a White House statement, the two sides reportedly discussed cross-strait issues and the war in Ukraine.

However, China has shown discomfort with the U.S. demanding improved relations without easing export control pressures. It is reported that China also rejected the U.S. request for a meeting between defense ministers last month. Major foreign media have reported that "China is showing a passive stance toward normalizing relations due to U.S. pressure such as semiconductor export restrictions."

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