NUSA DUA, Indonesia, July 9 (Reuters) – US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met on Saturday after the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia.
This meeting, the first in person between the two diplomats since last October, aims to prevent the already difficult relationship between Beijing and Washington from worsening.
“Nothing can replace face-to-face diplomacy, and in such a complex and fundamental relationship as the one between the United States and China, there is a lot to be said,” Antony Blinken told reporters ahead of the press conference. maintenance.
“We look forward to having a productive and constructive conversation,” he added.
Antony Blinken should again ask Beijing not to support Russia’s war in Ukraine, and the two sides should address contentious issues such as Taiwan, China’s development in the Pacific, its claims in the South China Sea, the human rights and customs duties.
Washington and Beijing, however, intend to ensure the stability of their relationship, and Antony Blinken and other US officials have indicated that US President Joe Biden will meet with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in the coming weeks.
“China and the United States are two big countries, so it is necessary for them to maintain normal exchanges,” Wang Yi told reporters.
“We must, at the same time, change to ensure that this relationship continues to move forward on the right track,” he said. (Report David Brunnstrom, with the contribution of Ryan Woo Pkin, writing by Ed Davies; French version Camille Raynaud)