diplomacy
China warns of “negative factors” in its relationship with the USA
The relationship between the USA and China is tense. This was also shown by the meeting between US Foreign Minister Antony Blinken (l) and China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi. photo
© Mark Schiefelbein/AP POOL/dpa
Sanctions, overcapacity, tariffs: Washington and Beijing are now arguing about many issues. In Beijing, the two countries’ chief diplomats had a lot on their agenda.
Given the tense relationship between Beijing and Washington, China has warned of a deterioration in relations with the USA. Although the two sides are talking to each other more again, the “negative factors” in the relationship between the USA and China have increased, he said China’s chief diplomat Wang Yi according to Chinese state television in Beijing. He cited the “groundless suppression” of China’s right to develop as a reason. According to Wang, the two countries face the question of whether their relationship will either stabilize or slide into a downward spiral.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, according to US media reports, that there had been progress in some areas to close the gap between the two countries. However, he wanted to express clearly and directly the issues on which there are differences of opinion with China.
A three-day visit to China has now come to an end for Blinken. He had previously met students and US company representatives in Shanghai. Although Beijing and Washington repeatedly refer to the meeting between US President Joe Biden and China’s head of state and government Xi Jinping in San Francisco last November, new controversial political and economic issues continue to arise. At that time there were indications that the two sides wanted to talk to each other more and stabilize their relationship.
China is angry about US sanctions in the tech sector or against Chinese companies in connection with Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine. Washington, on the other hand, is concerned about Chinese influence and recently passed a law that would oblige the Chinese company Bytedance to divest from its short video app Tiktok in the USA. In addition, China is criticized by the USA and other Western countries for providing support to Russia in the Ukraine war and for militarily threatening the island republic of Taiwan, which is supported by the USA.