Xi Jinping to Blinken: "Interstate Exchanges Must Be Based on Mutual Respect and Sincerity" (Comprehensive)

Talks Held in Beijing... Is the US-China Relationship Entering a New Phase?
President Xi's Tone More Positive Than Wang Yi's

Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasized on the 19th that "interactions between countries must be based on mutual respect and sincerity" during his meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken, who is visiting China.

According to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, President Xi met with Secretary Blinken at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on the same day, stating, "I hope Secretary Blinken's visit to China can positively contribute to the stabilization of China-U.S. relations." High-level officials including Nicholas Burns, U.S. Ambassador to China, Qin Gang, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Hua Chunying, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, were also present at the meeting.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

At the meeting, President Xi referred to Wang Yi, member of the Communist Party Central Political Bureau and Qin Gang, State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs of China, saying, "Secretary Blinken had an honest and in-depth discussion," and emphasized, "Both sides have made progress and reached agreements on certain specific issues. This is a very good thing."

The possibility of a meeting between President Xi and Secretary Blinken on this day was considered low. Although President Xi met with then U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during his visit to China in 2018, it is generally uncommon for the Chinese President to meet one-on-one with foreign ministers. Therefore, this meeting, held amid rapidly deteriorating bilateral relations, is also interpreted as a prelude to potential changes in China-U.S. relations.

Secretary Blinken visited China for the first time in five years as the head of U.S. diplomacy the day before, held talks with Minister Qin, and on the following day met with Commissioner Wang. Notably, Commissioner Wang sharply increased the level of criticism toward the United States.

He directly called for easing sanctions on China by demanding an end to exaggerations of the "China threat," withdrawal of illegal unilateral sanctions against China, cessation of pressure on China's scientific and technological development, and non-interference in China's internal affairs. Commissioner Wang stated, "The deterioration of China-U.S. relations is rooted in the United States' mistaken perception of China, which leads to misguided China policies," adding, "For China-U.S. relations to no longer collapse and to stabilize, the top priority is to genuinely implement the consensus reached by the two leaders."

Bloomberg News described President Xi's remarks on the day as "a rare positive tone during Secretary Blinken's visit to Beijing," and assessed that "it will raise expectations that bilateral relations can reach a more stable foundation." The news agency viewed this meeting as potentially laying the groundwork for a face-to-face summit between President Xi and U.S. President Joe Biden later this year.

Wang Huiyao, chairman of the Center for China and Globalization, told the news agency, "Secretary Blinken's visit to China will serve as a catalyst for more bilateral interactions between the two countries," and assessed that "at least it has brought a period of stabilization that eases tensions in the second half of this year."

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