US Foreign Minister's Visit To China Discusses Development Of Bilateral Relations

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken / PHOTO via Instagram @secblinken

JAKARTA - Deputy Secretary of State of the United States (US) for East Asia and Pacific affairs Daniel J. Kritenbrink said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to Beijing, China, was to continue discussions on the development of bilateral relations between the two countries.

"Both sides agreed to continue discussions on development principles to guide bilateral relations as discussed by President Biden and President Xi in Bali," said Daniel J. Kritenbrink as reported by ANTARA, Tuesday, June 20.

The two sides are pushing for further progress in efforts to address specific issues in bilateral relations with the joint working group formed in 2021.

He gave an example of remarks from both parties on efforts to strengthen the exchange of people between students, scholars and entrepreneurs, including the commitment to work together to increase the number of direct flights between the two countries.

Foreign Minister Blinken, he said, emphasized that the settlement of cases of US citizens detained illegally or subject to a ban from leaving China remains a priority for the US to discuss during his visit to China.

Blinken underlined the importance of working together to cut off the flow of synthetic drugs, particularly fentanyl, and precursor chemicals to the US, which sparked a fentanyl crisis.

In the economic field, Blinken discussed China's non-market and unfair economic practices as well as recent actions against US companies.

He also discussed the historic investment that the US Government has made, as one of the main focuses for two days of discussion.

Kritenbrink said Blinken also raised concerns about China's human rights violations (HAM) in Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong, in addition to underlining the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

The two sides also discussed various global and regional issues, including the war of Russian aggression against Ukraine, the provocation carried out by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) or North Korea, and US concerns about China's intelligence activities in Cuba.

"The Foreign Minister emphasized that the US will work with its allies and partners to realize our vision for a free and open world, and that upholds rules based on international order," said Kritenbrink.

The two sides stressed that the US and China must work together to overcome common transnational challenges, such as climate change, global macroeconomic stability, food security, public health, and the fight against narcotics.

Blinken further encourages further interaction between the governments of the two countries in these areas and other areas.

Both sides agreed to follow up dialogue among senior officials in Washington and Beijing to continue open communication lines.