US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said Monday in Beijing that he agreed with Chinese leaders on the need to “stabilize” bilateral relations, but remained “aware” of deep differences, AFP reported.

“At every meeting we have insisted on direct contact and constant communication at the highest level is the best way to responsibly resolve differences and ensure that this competition does not become adversarial,” Mr Blinken told reporters.

“I heard the same from my Chinese colleagues. We agree with the need to stabilize our relations.”

Anthony Blinken, who is on a two-day visit to Beijing, the first visit by a US secretary of state since 2018, said, however, that he was “reasonable” about China, whose relations with the United States have soured in recent years.

Aside from the very thorny issue of ties between the United States and Taiwan, an island claimed by Beijing, bilateral relations remain strained over a host of issues.

These include technological rivalry, US sanctions against Chinese digital giants, trade, the treatment of China’s Uyghur Muslim minority, or even China’s claims to the South China Sea.

“We are under no illusions about the challenges of managing this relationship. There are many issues on which we deeply – even starkly – disagree,” Blinken said.

For security reasons, the United States has taken several steps in recent years to limit Chinese companies’ access to certain American technologies or make it more difficult for them to produce advanced semiconductors.

But Washington is not trying to “stifle” China’s economic development, Anthony Blinken assured on Monday.

“We want growth. We want to see success in all parts of the world, including, of course, major economies like China,” the US secretary of state said.

“But at the same time” “it is not in our interests to provide China with technologies that can be used against us,” he emphasized.

“As they develop their nuclear weapons program in a very opaque way, producing hypersonic missiles, using the technology for repressive purposes, is it in our best interest to provide those particular technologies to China?” Blinken asked.

However, China refused to accept Washington’s attempt to restore communication channels between the military and called US sanctions an obstacle. Both sides appeared to be locked in positions on everything from Taiwan to trade, including US actions on China’s chip industry, human rights and Russia’s war against Ukraine.

The White House called the meeting “a good step forward.” According to White House press secretary Karin Jean-Pierre, Blinken’s overall message was to emphasize the importance of keeping the lines of communication open to reduce risks.

China promises the US not to supply Russia with weapons

On Monday, during a visit to Beijing, the secretary of state announced that the Chinese government had pledged not to support Russia in Russia’s war against Ukraine and that it would not supply or provide weapons to Moscow, CNN and News.ro reported. .

Blinken said China had assured the US and other countries that it would not provide lethal aid to Russia, and “we have seen no evidence to contradict that”, although he noted that China’s assurances were consistent with repeated statements made in recent weeks.

“However, we remain concerned about Chinese firms, companies that can provide technology that Russia can use to advance its aggression in Ukraine. And we’ve asked the Chinese government to be very vigilant about that,” Blinken added.

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