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Secretary Antony J. Blinken and People’s Republic of China Vice President Han Zheng before Their Meeting

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Secretary Blinken’s Call with People’s Republic of China (PRC) Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission and Foreign Minister Wang Yi

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Biden-Xi meeting in San Francisco still on track but no major breakthroughs expected

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Secretary Antony J. Blinken and People’s Republic of China Vice President Han Zheng before Their Meeting VICE PRESIDENT HAN: (Via interpreter) It’s my pleasure to meet you again, Mr. Secretary of State. In autumn of 2015, during your visit to China, we held friendly talks in Shanghai – development and the reform of the Shanghai free trade summit. You asked about Shanghai’s innovative development, as well as how American companies were doing in Shanghai. And now, eight years later, the memory is still fresh in my mind.

At present, China-U.S. relations are the most consequential relations. In June this year, you visited China and held candid, pragmatic, and productive communication with various sides in China. Such communications sent to the whole world the constructive message of China and the United States stepping up engagement and dialogue and working together to stabilize the bilateral relationship. The world needs a steady and sound China-U.S. relationship, and such a relationship is beneficial with two countries and the world at large.

Last year, President Xi Jinping and President Joe Biden had a successful meeting in Bali. They reached a series of important common understandings which pointed the way forward for China-U.S. relations. At present, China-U.S. relations face various difficulties and challenges. It requires both sides to work together to show sincerity, work in the same direction, and make common efforts.

China has all along followed the three principles put forward by President Xi Jinping, namely mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation in viewing and handling China-U.S. relations. And we sincerely hope that the U.S. would take more concrete action to deliver on the common understanding between our leaders for the sound and steady growth in China-U.S. relations.

I’d like to hear from you, Mr. Secretary of State.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Mr. Vice President, first, it’s good to see you again. I remember well our meeting in Shanghai in 2015, and I’m pleased for the opportunity to meet here on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly.

I think it’s a good thing that we have this opportunity to build on the recent high-level engagements that our countries have had, to make sure that we’re maintaining open communications and to demonstrate that we are responsibly managing the relationship between our two countries.

From the perspective of the United States, face-to-face diplomacy is the best way to deal with areas where we disagree, and also the best way to explore areas of potential cooperation between us. The world expects us to responsibly manage our relationship. The United States is committed to doing just that.

And I’m looking forward to a good conversation with you today. Thanks for having us here.

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Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with PRC Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

As part of the Administration’s intensive diplomatic engagements to stand with Israel and condemn the terrorist attacks by Hamas, the Secretary reiterated U.S. support for Israel’s right to defend itself and called for an immediate cessation of Hamas’ attacks and the release of all hostages. The Secretary also discussed the importance of maintaining stability in the region and discouraging other parties from entering the conflict.

The two sides noted the importance of maintaining open channels of communication and responsibly managing the U.S.-China relationship.

Secretary Blinken’s Call with People’s Republic of China (PRC) Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission and Foreign Minister Wang Yi

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Biden-Xi meeting in San Francisco still on track but no major breakthroughs expected WASHINGTON (AP) — The anticipated meeting between President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping is on track for next week on the sidelines of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco, but the White house is not expecting the face-to-face to result in major changes to the relationship between the two nations, according to a person familiar with the planning.

The White House announced late last month that U.S. and China had come to an agreement in principle for Biden and Xi to speak to each other in person on the sidelines of the summit — the first engagement between the leaders in what’s been a tension-filled year between the world’s two biggest economic powers. But with Biden set to arrive in San Francisco in a week for the summit, exact timing and other logistical details have not yet been formally announced.

The U.S. believes that the two sides will be able to made some modest announcements following their meeting, but the fundamental differences in the relationship will remain unchanged, according to the person, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity. Jude Blanchette, chair of China Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said Biden and Xi were looking “to intentionally keep that bar low.”

“What’s going on here is an attempt to have a deep conversation where the two sides directly share their concerns, but more importantly that the meeting unlocks, especially in the Chinese system, space for further engagement in constructive work,” Blanchette said.

There’s been plenty of effort by both sides to lay the groundwork for the expected San Francisco meeting.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is set to meet Thursday and Friday with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in San Francisco before finance ministers of the APEC member nations officially kick off the summit Saturday.

The meeting between the two senior government officials comes after Biden spoke with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the White House for about an hour late last month, when Beijing’s top diplomat came to Washington for talks with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan. Xi similarly met with Blinken in June when the secretary of state traveled to Beijing for talks with Wang.

Yellen last met with her counterpart He during a July visit to Beijing, when she urged Chinese government officials to cooperate on climate change and other global challenges and not to let sharp disagreements about trade and other irritants derail relations.

Biden and Xi last met nearly a year ago on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, a nearly three-hour meeting in which Biden objected directly to China’s “ coercive and increasingly aggressive actions” toward Taiwan and discussed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and other issues.

The already fraught relationship has become only more complicated since that Bali meeting. Differences have sharpened as a result of U.S. export controls on advanced technology; Biden ordering the shooting down of a Chinese spy balloon after it traversed the continental United States; and a stopover in the U.S. by Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen earlier this year, among other issues.

Beijing sees official American contact with Taiwan as encouragement to make the island’s decades-old de facto independence permanent, a step U.S. leaders say they don’t support. Under the “One China” policy, the U.S. recognizes Beijing as the government of China and doesn’t have diplomatic relations with Taiwan, but it has maintained that Taipei is an important partner in the Indo-Pacific.

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Biden-Xi meeting in San Francisco still on track but no major breakthroughs expected

WASHINGTON (AP) — The anticipated meeting between President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping is on track for next week on the sidelines of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco, but the White house is not expecting the face-to-face to result in major changes to the relationship between the two nations, according to a person familiar with the planning.

The White House announced late last month that U.S. and China had come to an agreement in principle for Biden and Xi to speak to each other in person on the sidelines of the summit — the first engagement between the leaders in what’s been a tension-filled year between the world’s two biggest economic powers. But with Biden set to arrive in San Francisco in a week for the summit, exact timing and other logistical details have not yet been formally announced.

The U.S. believes that the two sides will be able to made some modest announcements following their meeting, but the fundamental differences in the relationship will remain unchanged, according to the person, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity. Jude Blanchette, chair of China Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said Biden and Xi were looking “to intentionally keep that bar low.”

“What’s going on here is an attempt to have a deep conversation where the two sides directly share their concerns, but more importantly that the meeting unlocks, especially in the Chinese system, space for further engagement in constructive work,” Blanchette said.

There’s been plenty of effort by both sides to lay the groundwork for the expected San Francisco meeting.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is set to meet Thursday and Friday with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in San Francisco before finance ministers of the APEC member nations officially kick off the summit Saturday.

The meeting between the two senior government officials comes after Biden spoke with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the White House for about an hour late last month, when Beijing’s top diplomat came to Washington for talks with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan. Xi similarly met with Blinken in June when the secretary of state traveled to Beijing for talks with Wang.

Yellen last met with her counterpart He during a July visit to Beijing, when she urged Chinese government officials to cooperate on climate change and other global challenges and not to let sharp disagreements about trade and other irritants derail relations.

Biden and Xi last met nearly a year ago on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, a nearly three-hour meeting in which Biden objected directly to China’s “ coercive and increasingly aggressive actions” toward Taiwan and discussed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and other issues.

The already fraught relationship has become only more complicated since that Bali meeting. Differences have sharpened as a result of U.S. export controls on advanced technology; Biden ordering the shooting down of a Chinese spy balloon after it traversed the continental United States; and a stopover in the U.S. by Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen earlier this year, among other issues.

Beijing sees official American contact with Taiwan as encouragement to make the island’s decades-old de facto independence permanent, a step U.S. leaders say they don’t support. Under the “One China” policy, the U.S. recognizes Beijing as the government of China and doesn’t have diplomatic relations with Taiwan, but it has maintained that Taipei is an important partner in the Indo-Pacific.

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Secretary Blinken’s Call with People’s Republic of China (PRC) Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission and Foreign Minister Wang Yi

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with PRC Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

As part of the Administration’s intensive diplomatic engagements to stand with Israel and condemn the terrorist attacks by Hamas, the Secretary reiterated U.S. support for Israel’s right to defend itself and called for an immediate cessation of Hamas’ attacks and the release of all hostages. The Secretary also discussed the importance of maintaining stability in the region and discouraging other parties from entering the conflict.

The two sides noted the importance of maintaining open channels of communication and responsibly managing the U.S.-China relationship.

Secretary Blinken’s Call with People’s Republic of China (PRC) Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission and Foreign Minister Wang Yi

[jorgelinafrear]

Secretary Antony J. Blinken and People’s Republic of China Vice President Han Zheng before Their Meeting

VICE PRESIDENT HAN: (Via interpreter) It’s my pleasure to meet you again, Mr. Secretary of State. In autumn of 2015, during your visit to China, we held friendly talks in Shanghai – development and the reform of the Shanghai free trade summit. You asked about Shanghai’s innovative development, as well as how American companies were doing in Shanghai. And now, eight years later, the memory is still fresh in my mind.

At present, China-U.S. relations are the most consequential relations. In June this year, you visited China and held candid, pragmatic, and productive communication with various sides in China. Such communications sent to the whole world the constructive message of China and the United States stepping up engagement and dialogue and working together to stabilize the bilateral relationship. The world needs a steady and sound China-U.S. relationship, and such a relationship is beneficial with two countries and the world at large.

Last year, President Xi Jinping and President Joe Biden had a successful meeting in Bali. They reached a series of important common understandings which pointed the way forward for China-U.S. relations. At present, China-U.S. relations face various difficulties and challenges. It requires both sides to work together to show sincerity, work in the same direction, and make common efforts.

China has all along followed the three principles put forward by President Xi Jinping, namely mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation in viewing and handling China-U.S. relations. And we sincerely hope that the U.S. would take more concrete action to deliver on the common understanding between our leaders for the sound and steady growth in China-U.S. relations.

I’d like to hear from you, Mr. Secretary of State.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Mr. Vice President, first, it’s good to see you again. I remember well our meeting in Shanghai in 2015, and I’m pleased for the opportunity to meet here on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly.

I think it’s a good thing that we have this opportunity to build on the recent high-level engagements that our countries have had, to make sure that we’re maintaining open communications and to demonstrate that we are responsibly managing the relationship between our two countries.

From the perspective of the United States, face-to-face diplomacy is the best way to deal with areas where we disagree, and also the best way to explore areas of potential cooperation between us. The world expects us to responsibly manage our relationship. The United States is committed to doing just that.

And I’m looking forward to a good conversation with you today. Thanks for having us here.

[jorgelinafrear]

Biden-Xi meeting in San Francisco still on track but no major breakthroughs expected

[jorgelinafrear]

Secretary Blinken’s Call with People’s Republic of China (PRC) Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission and Foreign Minister Wang Yi

[jorgelinafrear]

Secretary Antony J. Blinken and People’s Republic of China Vice President Han Zheng before Their Meeting