Secretary of State Antony Blinken attended the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Vientiane, Laos, for the first stop of a weeklong tour of Asia. Photo courtesy Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs/EPA-EFE
July 27 (UPI) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday confronted his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on areas of disagreement between the two nations, including Beijing’s continued support of Russia.
The two officials met during an annual international conference of Southeast Asian nations in Laos’s capital of Vientiane.
U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement per CNN that the two discussed bilateral, regional and global issues on the sidelines of the conference.
“The Secretary made clear that the United States, together with our allies and partners, will advance our vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific,” the statement read.
Blinken also brought up China’s support of Russia amid its now two-year-long invasion of Ukraine and warned that the United States would take “appropriate measures” if Beijing does not cease, Miller said.
Wang in the meeting insisted that China has not sent any weapons to Russia, according to reporting by The New York Times.
The Biden administration has claimed the country is at least indirectly aiding Moscow through the export of dual-use materials such as machine tools and microelectronics that have been used to continue the Ukraine war.
The Chinese foreign ministry in a statement summarizing the meeting said Wang told Blinken the United Stakes has “a wrong perception of China” and urged the return of a “rational and pragmatic China policy.”
“China is not the United States and does not want to become the United States,” The statement read. “China does not seek hegemony or power, and is a major country with the best record in the world on peace and security issues.”
Wang said China’s approach to Ukraine has been transparent and it would continue to promote peace and dialogue, according to the Chinese foreign ministry.
Blinken said the United States had a “core interest” in defending Ukraine against Russia, according to the State Department.
Beijing’s increased militarization in the South China Sea and toward Taiwan has been another sticking point in U.S.-China relations. Wang on Saturday asserted that Taiwan has always been and always will be part of China.
Wang also said the United States should stop imposing sanctions on China and that Beijing would bend to “pressure and blackmail.”
The United States has leveled over 300 sanctions on Chinese entities in response to the export of dual-use materials to Russia, according to the State Department.
Both officials noted China recently reached an agreement with the Philippines on naval activity regarding the Second Thomas Shoal — locally known as the Ren’ai Reef — a contested area where Philippine marines are posted.
Blinken said the two countries could further collaborate on strengthening high-level military talks, artificial intelligence and combating the narcotics trade. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed cooperation on some of these issues at a summit last year outside of San Francisco.
The Chinese foreign ministry said the two agreed to maintain communications in the future.
Blinken was in Laos for the first visit of a weeklong diplomatic tour, which includes stops in Vietnam, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore and Mongolia.
The secretary’s travels across Asia come amid heightened tensions between the United States and China. Biden has made smoothing over rocky relations between the two countries a core priority before he leaves office in January.
Wang reportedly did not bring up the looming U.S. presidential election, despite concern over what international relations could look like under a second Trump administration. Wang did say that Xi values his relationship with Biden.