China, US to keep exchanges at a high level

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang holds talks with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Beijing, capital of China, June 18, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan)

China and the United States agreed on Sunday to jointly implement the important consensus reached at the meeting between President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden in Bali, Indonesia, in November, and "effectively control differences and promote dialogue, exchanges and cooperation".

The agreement was reached at the talks between State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang and visiting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Analysts said the meeting on Sunday was the latest positive move for repairing the relationship between the world's two largest economies. The ties have remarkable bilateral and global implications, and mutual respect remains the key to managing their differences, they said.

Blinken arrived in Beijing on Sunday morning for his first visit to China as secretary of state. The visit will last from Sunday to Monday.

"The two sides had candid, in-depth and constructive talks at length on the overall bilateral ties and important issues," the Foreign Ministry said in a release.

The two sides also exchanged views on major international and regional issues of common concern.

Qin's meeting with Blinken was the first of its kind between the two in their current capacities.

At the talks, Beijing and Washington agreed to maintain high-level exchanges.

Blinken invited Qin to visit the US, and Qin expressed his willingness to visit the US "at a mutually convenient time".

The two sides agreed to encourage the expansion of cultural and education exchanges between the two countries and to actively discuss an increase in passenger flights between the nations.

They both will welcome more students, scholars and businesspeople to visit one another, and will provide support and convenience.

Observers noted that earlier this year, the ties were strained by matters including Washington's hyping of a Chinese unmanned civilian airship that strayed into US airspace.

Speaking to Blinken on Sunday, Qin noted that "currently, China-US relations are at the lowest point since the establishment of the diplomatic relations", which is not in line with the fundamental interests of the two peoples and the common expectations of the international community.

China's policy toward the US has always maintained continuity and stability, and it follows the fundamental principle of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation as proposed by President Xi, Qin said, adding that this should also be honored, secured and pursued by both sides.

China "is committed to building stable, predictable and constructive China-US relations", he said, adding that the US is expected to hold an objective and rational view of China, work toward the same goal with China, secure the political foundation of China-US ties, and deal with accidents calmly, professionally and rationally.

The two sides should fully implement the consensus of the meeting between Xi and Biden in Bali, and "work to stabilize and steer the relations back to the right track", he said.

At the talks, Qin made clear China's solemn position on the nation's core interests and major concerns, such as the Taiwan question, and he put forward clear requirements.

The Taiwan question is "at the core of China's core interests", and as for China-US relations, it is both the most important major issue and the most prominent risk, Qin said.

He said China urges the US to faithfully abide by the one-China principle and the three joint communiques, and implement in a substantial manner its commitment to not support "Taiwan independence".

On Sunday, the two sides also agreed to continue advancing consultations on the guiding principles of China-US relations. In addition, they agreed to continue advancing consultation of the China-US joint working group to resolve specific issues in China-US relations.

Su Xiaohui, deputy director of the Department of American Studies at the China Institute of International Studies, said: "The international community expects a stable China-US relationship. It will also serve China's interests if the two sides could sit at the table and talk so as to further stabilize their relations."

"It remains to be seen if Washington will break away from its two-faced approach of saying one thing while doing another," she added.