China and the United States discuss a meeting between their diplomats in Alaska, according to the South China Morning Post, in an attempt to reset relations between the two countries, which are living a Cold War 2.0 initiated by the former US president Donald Trump.
According to Chinese media, the Beijing delegation would include two big names under the leadership of Yang Jiechi, a Communist Party official in charge of foreign affairs and who frequently serves as Xi Jinping’s envoy.
Yang may also be accompanied by Wang Yi, Minister of Foreign Affairs. The two are the country’s top diplomats and the Chinese leader’s trusted leaders. Their participation would reflect the importance that Beijing attaches to rebuilding ties with the Americans.
If confirmed, the meeting will likely take place in Anchorage, the largest city in Alaska and a geographic point halfway between both sides, despite being part of U.S. territory, and out of the limelight. global media. The newspaper says, however, that the location has not yet been fully decided and that there are details to be worked out.
The meeting would be the first one-on-one between high-level officials from both countries since Joe Biden took office on January 20. The US president has already spoken to Xi by phone on February 10.
In the appeal, according to the White House statement, Biden “underscored his fundamental concerns about Beijing’s coercive and unfair economic practices, the crackdown in Hong Kong, human rights violations in Xinjiang and the actions of more and more assertive in the region, including in relation to Taiwan “.
Xi, however, told Biden that Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Taiwan are matters of “sovereignty and territorial integrity” that he expects Washington to approach with caution.
In the appeal, the Chinese leader told the American that the clashes between the two countries would be a “disaster” and that the two sides should restore the means to avoid errors in judgment, according to the report of the conversation made. by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China. Restoring dialogue between the two countries and mutual cooperation would be the only right choice, Xi said.
“You said America can be defined in one word: the possibilities. We hope that the possibilities now point to an improvement in Sino-US relations,” said the Chinese leader.
On the American side, recognition of the importance of the relationship with Beijing was expressed by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who called it “probably the most important in the world”.
Wang, for his part, stressed the value of these ties at the Foreign Ministry’s annual press conference last weekend, saying China is ready to cooperate with the United States on a wide range of issues. . Hong Kong, Taiwan and Xinjiang, however, are Beijing’s business and out of discussion, the diplomat said, according to the South China Morning Post.
Experts heard by the newspaper stress the importance of the meeting to ensure that the two countries correctly understand the points of their relationship.
Biden’s management has already indicated that it intends to maintain a firm stance with China, but that it will seek more targeted measures, such as specific restrictions on exports of technology deemed sensitive. And he has also shown signs that, at least for now, he will not remove trade tariffs imposed by Trump.
The Trump administration took a confrontational stance against China, which included a trade war and accusations that the Asian country was responsible for the emergence of Covid-19. Sanctions have also been imposed on Chinese officials and companies deemed to be threats to US security.