The Associated Press reported that Secretary of State Tony Blinken met with a senior Chinese diplomat on the 12th (local time) as the Biden administration seeks to ease tensions with Taiwan, which is holding a presidential election.
Secretary Blinken met with Liu Jianchao, head of the Communist Party’s External Liaison Department, who was visiting the United States a day before Taiwan’s presidential election.
The Biden administration is seeking ways to ease tensions in the Taiwan Strait if the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, which leans toward independence from China, wins the presidential election on the 13th. The Chinese government, which considers Taiwan a Chinese territory, offered voters a choice between peace and war.
The United States is not supporting any specific candidate in Taiwan’s presidential election, and plans to send an unofficial delegation to Taiwan immediately after the election.
The meeting between Liu and Secretary Blinken was arranged as part of a visit to the United States, including in New York, earlier this week, where Chinese authorities said they were taking seriously the U.S. statement that it would not support Taiwan’s independence. In his speech at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), Director Ryu stated, “We hope that the U.S. side will honor this promise.”
Director Liu said, “For China, the Taiwan issue is the most important part of its core interests. That is a red line that must not be crossed,” said Liu, who is likely to become China’s next foreign minister when China’s National People’s Congress convenes in March, AP reported.
The Chinese government has accused the U.S. government of supplying weapons that could embolden Taiwan’s independence seekers. The United States has a security agreement with Taiwan to protect it from armed attacks from mainland China, and any military conflict in the Taiwan Strait could involve the United States.
However, Director Liu said that China does not want war.
“China firmly pursues an independent foreign policy of peace and is committed to peaceful development,” he said. “During his recent visit to the United States, President Xi Jinping repeatedly emphasized that China will not engage in a cold war or a hot war with anyone.” He mentioned.
Director Liu assured U.S. meeting participants that China does not seek to change the world order.
“China is not trying to change the current international order, and is not devising a wheel to create a new international order,” Liu said. He added: “We are one of the builders of the current world order, and we have benefited from it.”
Liu said Beijing’s goal is “to provide a better life for the Chinese people.” He specifically said, “So we don’t have a hidden agenda. “Overtaking the United States is not our goal,” Director Ryu emphasized.
Liu sent a signal that China may be moving away from the “wolf warrior” diplomacy that critics say has alienated China from the West.
“I think the fundamental goal of Chinese diplomats is to contribute to their efforts to ensure that relations between China and other countries become warm and cooperative,” he said. “And that means we strive to create an international environment favorable to China’s modernization,” Liu explained.
Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported that the details of the meeting were unknown, but a U.S. government official met with reporters before the meeting and said, “It is important to deliver a direct message to China about the importance of regional peace and stability ahead of Taiwan’s presidential election.” It was reported that he appears to have directly urged Taiwan to respect the democratic process of the presidential election and not to increase military pressure.
NHK also reported that he appears to have emphasized that there will be no change in the existing US ‘One China’ policy, which reflects China’s position that ‘Taiwan is part of China’.
Regarding Taiwan’s presidential election, there are concerns in the United States that if Lai Ching-de is elected and the current ruling Democratic Progressive Party takes over, China, which is expected to see a regime change, will further strengthen its pressure on Taiwan, destabilizing U.S.-China relations. is coming out.
Hours after his meeting with Liu, Secretary Blinken also met separately with Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa of Japan, one of America’s strongest allies in Asia.
According to Japanese media Japan Today, in addition to Taiwan, Secretary Blinken and Foreign Minister Kamikawa discussed wars in Ukraine and the Middle East and preparations for the Japanese prime minister’s state visit to the United States in early March.
As Japan Today reported, Foreign Minister Kamikawa said during his meeting with Secretary Blinken, “As the world enters a transition period, the role of the Japan-U.S. alliance in dealing with various issues has never been greater.”
According to the State Department, Secretary Blinken emphasized to Foreign Minister Kamikawa that the U.S.-Japan alliance is “the cornerstone of peace, security, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific.”
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.