Blinken in China: US to blame for worsening ties, says Beijing, draws line on Taiwan issue

Currently on a two-day trip to China, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was received by top diplomat Wang Yi on Monday who said Washington’s “erroneous perception” of China was the reason for the deteriorating ties between the two nations. Urging the US to 'reflect deeply', Wang addedTaiwan remained a sovereign part of China and that no compromise was possible on the issue.

"It is necessary to make a choice between dialogue and confrontation, cooperation or conflict,"Wang told Blinken, according toChinese state broadcaster CCTV.

“With an attitude of being responsible to the people, history and the world, we must reverse the downward spiral of Sino-US relations, push for a return to a healthy and stable track and work together to find a correct way for China and the United States to get along in the new era,” he added.

Wang, whose position within the Communist party ranks above that of a foreign minister, held a three-hour-long meeting with Blinken, according to the State Department.

The Chinese leader urged the US to not assume that China was seeking dominance. He added thatWashington should not “misjudge” Beijing based ontrajectories of traditional Western powers.

“This is key as to whether the US policy towards China can truly return to objectivity and rationality."

No room to compromise: Wang on Taiwan issue

As for the Taiwan issue, Wang drew the line clearly and asked Washington to respect the country's sovereignty and oppose the island nation's independence.

"On this issue, China has no room to compromise or concede," CCTV said. "The United States must truly adhere to the One China principle confirmed in the three joint US-China communiques, respect China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and clearly oppose 'Taiwan independence'."

Since last year, the US has been ratcheting up the Taiwan issue aggressively. The visit by former House speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan last year and the reciprocal visit by Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen to New York earlier this year have antagonised Beijing.

Blinken's shaky visit to China

Blinken became the first Washington diplomat in five years with the highest profile under US President Joe Biden to visit China. However, his visit, by the looks of it, has done little to nothing to mend the ties.

Beijing had foreshadowed its intentions of toeing a tough line in the lead-up to the visit.China's foreign minister Qin Gang had urged the US to stop meddling in its affairs and harming security in a phone call with Blinken last week.

Qin told Blinken to respect China's core concerns, such as the Taiwan issue, in an effort to arrest declining relations between the superpowers.

(With inputs from agencies)

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