Vientiane, Laos: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Saturday in Laos, focusing on pressing issues including Taiwan and China’s support for Russia’s war in Ukraine. The meeting, which took place on the sidelines of a regional summit, marked their sixth discussion since June 2023.
Blinken reiterated Washington’s concerns over Beijing’s provocative actions towards Taiwan and its support for Russia. A senior U.S. State Department official highlighted that Blinken and Wang discussed the simulated blockade during Taiwan President Lai Ching-te’s inauguration as a recent example of Beijing’s provocative behavior.
The two diplomats also addressed the need for progress in military-to-military relations but did not broach the topic of nuclear arms control, an area China has suspended discussions on due to U.S. arms sales to Taiwan. The official noted that Taiwan remains a primary concern for both sides, with China viewing it as an internal matter.
The meeting lasted one hour and 20 minutes, with no new date set for their next discussion. China’s foreign ministry had yet to issue a statement on the latest talks.
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In addition to Taiwan and Russia, Blinken conveyed U.S. President Joe Biden’s and Vice President Kamala Harris’s commitment to stabilizing U.S.-China relations and upholding a rules-based international order. Blinken warned of potential U.S. actions if China continued supporting Russia’s defense sector, mentioning recent sanctions against Chinese firms involved in semiconductor sales to Moscow.
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The discussions also covered human rights issues in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Tibet, as well as concerns about fentanyl precursor chemicals coming from China. Furthermore, Blinken and Wang reviewed a recent Beijing-brokered agreement between Palestinian factions, with the U.S. official expressing skepticism about its potential effectiveness in resolving the ongoing conflict between Fatah and Hamas.
