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A4 U.S. NEWS
Monday 29 July 2024
The US and China air global differences as their top diplomats

meet for sixth time since last year

By MATTHEW LEE sanctions in the way the
AP Diplomatic Writer U.S. and its allies would like,
The United States and Chi- a senior State Department
na on Saturday renewed official said "not enough
their mutual grievances that our concerns have
as U.S. Secretary of State been put to rest.” The of-
Antony Blinken and his Chi- ficial spoke to reporters on
nese counterpart held their condition of anonymity to
sixth meeting since last year discuss the private diplo-
amid an uncertain politi- matic meeting.
cal situation in the U.S. and Blinken's Asia trip was an-
growing concerns about nounced just hours after
China’s increasing asser- President Joe Biden said
tiveness in Asia and else- he would step down as a
where. candidate in November's
Blinken and Chinese For- election in favor of Vice
eign Minister Wang Yi met President Kamala Harris.
for roughly an hour and 20 Although the senior offi-
minutes on the sidelines of cial said that decision had
an annual Southeast Asian not come up in Saturday's
regional security forum in meetings, he said Blinken
Vientiane, Laos, at which had pointed out to Wang
tensions between China that Harris had experience
and U.S. ally Philippines over with China and had met
disputes in the South China Chinese President Xi Jinping
Sea were a prime focus of in Bangkok in 2022.
discussion. Also present at the ASEAN
U.S. State Department meeting in Laos was Russian
spokesman Matthew Miller Foreign Minister Sergey Lav-
said Blinken and Wang had rov, but the senior official
had “an open and produc- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, shakes hands with Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on said Blinken had no interac-
tive” discussion but had not the sideline of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers' Meeting in tions with him.
reached any significant Vientiane, Laos, Saturday, July 27, 2024. From Laos, Blinken flew to
agreements on the issues Associated Press. Hanoi for a brief stop to
that divide them most in the offer condolences for the
Indo-Pacific, Europe and passing last week of Viet-
the Americas. pression of China and has ply trip to the disputed area Still, Blinken, who will be in nam's powerful Commu-
“The United States will con- even further intensified without having to confront Manila next week as part nist Party chief and was
tinue to take necessary ac- it.” The statement said the Beijing’s forces, the first of his current six-country to travel on to Japan, the
tions to safeguard our inter- risks to China-U.S. ties “are such trip since the deal was tour of Asia, also deplored Philippines, Singapore and
ests and values, and those still accumulating and the concluded. China’s “escalatory and Mongolia.
of our allies and partners, challenges are also rising” “We are pleased to take unlawful actions taken In Tokyo and Manila on Sun-
including on human rights,” and that "it is necessary to note of the successful re- against the Philippines in day and Monday, Blinken
Blinken told Wang, accord- constantly calibrate the di- supply today at the Second the South China Sea over will be joined by Defense
ing to Miller. rection, manage risks, prop- Thomas Shoal," Blinken told the last few months.” Secretary Lloyd Austin
Blinken “made clear that erly handle differences, Association of Southeast In his meeting with Wang, where they will meet with
the United States, together eliminate disturbance and Asian Nations foreign minis- Blinken also re-raised deep their Japanese and Filipino
with our allies and partners, promote cooperation.” ters before his meeting with U.S. and European con- counterparts to shore up
will advance our vision for a Blinken scolded China for Wang. "We applaud that cerns about China's sup- defense cooperation. Blink-
free and open Indo-Pacif- “destabilizing actions in the and hope and expect to port of Russia's defense en will also meet in Tokyo
ic,” he said, highlighting re- South China Sea” and “af- see that it continues going industrial sector that Wash- with the Indian and South
cently aggressive Chinese firmed the United States’ forward.” ington and capitals in Eu- Korean foreign ministers.
actions toward Taiwan, the support for freedom of nav- Prior to the deal, tensions rope believe Russia is using For the past six decades,
self-governing island that igation and overflight and between the Philippines to ramp up the production there have been large U.S.
Beijing claims as part of the the peaceful resolution of and China escalated for of weapons for use in its troop deployments in Ja-
mainland and has vowed disputes, consistent with in- months, with China’s coast war against Ukraine. Blinken pan and South Korea and a
to reunify by force if neces- ternational law,” Miller said. guard and other forces us- “made clear that if (China) mutual defense treaty with
sary. America's top diplomat did ing powerful water can- does not act to address this the Philippines has been a
The Chinese Foreign Minis- praise China and the Phil- nons and dangerous block- threat to European security, constant of American poli-
try said in a statement that ippines for concluding an ing maneuvers to prevent the United States will con- cy in Asia.
despite regular contacts, agreement earlier this week food and other supplies tinue to take appropriate Former President Donald
“the U.S. has not stopped that allowed the Philippines from reaching Filipino navy measures to do so,” Miller Trump, now the Republi-
its containment and sup- on Saturday to make a sup- personnel. said. Since that warning can candidate for presi-
was first issued more than a dent, cast doubt on the
year ago, the U.S. and oth- usefulness of U.S. alliances
ers have imposed sanctions around the world during his
on more than 300 Russian first term in office and sug-
and Chinese firms engaged gested that the American
in the trade. military presence in Japan
Asked whether the Chinese and South Korea could be
had responded to those reduced or eliminated.q