Top diplomats of the United States and China held “in-depth talks” on Asia-Pacific affairs, including tensions in the Taiwan Strait, amid efforts to maintain open lines of communication between the two countries.
Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink met with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong in Washington on Sept. 28, according to the State Department.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the two sides held “a candid, in-depth, and constructive consultation on regional issues as part of ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communication.”
During the meeting, Mr. Kritenbrink emphasized the importance of a “free and open, connected, prosperous, resilient, and secure Indo-Pacific region and upholding the rules-based international order.”
They discussed the ongoing internal conflict in Burma (also known as Myanmar), North Korea’s missile threats, and maritime matters in the Indo-Pacific region.
CCP Emphasizes ‘One-China Principle’
The Chinese Foreign Ministry stated that the two sides agreed to maintain communication on Asia-Pacific affairs.Mr. Sun “expounded on China’s position on the Taiwan question and emphasized that the one-China principle is the bedrock of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,” the ministry added.
The CCP regards Taiwan as a renegade province that must be united with mainland China by any means necessary, even as Taiwan has been a self-governing democracy since the Chinese Civil War ended in 1949 and has never been controlled by the CCP.
Another 55 Chinese warplanes and seven vessels were spotted near the island on Sept. 19, with 27 planes spotted entering the southwest of Taiwan’s air defense identification zone.
Series of Discussions Between US, China Officials
The meeting followed other high-level engagements between the two countries that have seen visits from top U.S. officials—including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo—to China in recent months.More recently, Mr. Blinken met Chinese deputy leader Han Zheng in New York, and U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Malta.
Rep. Young Kim (R-Calif.), who chairs the Subcommittee on Indo-Pacific at the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said that the Biden administration’s move to engage with Beijing could embolden the CCP to continue its military actions against Taiwan.
“We have to continue to support our partners in Taiwan. We have to continue to make crystal clear that any action that undercuts their safety and security is unacceptable.”
“Our initial analysis is that they are doing joint drills in September, including land, sea, air, and amphibious,” Mr. Chiu told reporters in Taiwan’s Parliament on Sept. 22.