South China Sea, Taiwan figure in 'open' talks as Wang Yi, Antony Blinken meet in Laos

The United States hailed "open and productive" discussions between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Laos on Saturday, as the pair touched on divisive issues including Taiwan and the South China Sea.

The two top diplomats "had open and productive discussions on key bilateral, regional, and global issues", US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said, after what was the sixth meeting between Wang and Blinken since last year.

According to a readout from the Chinese foreign ministry, Wang criticised the US attempt to contain China, saying it had shown no signs of abating despite increased bilateral exchanges in diplomacy, finance, military, law enforcement and climate change over the past three months.

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"The risks for China-US relations continue to accumulate and the challenges are increasing," Wang told Blinken in talks lasting nearly 1½ hours.

The two sides had to continue to adjust and manage risks, Wang added.

Speaking to Western media, a senior state department official said Blinken had raised "US concerns about provocative actions that China has taken recently, including a simulated blockade around the time of the inauguration" of Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te.

"They had an extended conversation about Taiwan," the official said.

Beijing sees Taiwan as part of China to be reunited by force if necessary. Most countries, including the United States, do not recognise Taiwan as an independent state. However, Washington is opposed to any attempt to take the self-governed island by force and is committed to supplying it with weapons.

Wang told Blinken that Beijing would take retaliatory measures against every provocative move from "Taiwan independence" forces, and continue to squeeze the space for such demands, according to the Chinese readout.

Hours before the meeting, Blinken criticised Beijing's "escalating and unlawful actions" in the South China Sea, but also lauded the recent agreement between China and the Philippines on supply missions to the disputed Second Thomas Shoal. The first Philippine resupply trip since the agreement was carried out today.

"We are pleased to take note of the successful resupply today of the Second Thomas Shoal, which is the product of an agreement reached between the Philippines and China," Blinken told Asean foreign ministers gathered in Laotian capital Vientiane.

"We applaud that and hope and expect to see that it continues going forward."

Wang told Blinken that the Philippines should honour its promise to stop sending construction material to the shoal, where Manila in 1999 deliberately grounded a World War II-era navy ship to stake its claim.

Wang also urged the US to stop "fanning the fire and stirring up troubles", the Chinese readout said.

The US Navy's regular "freedom of navigation" operations in the South China Sea are opposed by Beijing, which was also angered by the deployment in April of the US intermediate-range Typhon missile system in the northern Philippines.

Earlier this month, the Philippine military announced that the system would be returned to the US in September "as per plan".

Also meeting his Philippine counterpart Enrique Manalo on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations foreign ministers' meeting, Wang warned against deploying the missile system, saying that it could trigger a regional "arms race".

The US statement on the meeting said both sides had agreed to enhance military-to-military communication to prevent miscalculation and conflict.

According to the statement, Blinken also reiterated serious US concerns about China's support for Russia's defence industrial base.

He said the United States would continue to take "appropriate measures" if Beijing did not address these concerns, in a reference to the US sanctions imposed on hundreds of Russian and Chinese firms. Wang, in return, criticised the sanctions and said Beijing would defend its rights.

Blinken's trip to Laos comes as regional allies become increasingly uncertain about Washington's foreign policy following President Joe Biden's decision not to seek re-election. Republican candidate and former president Donald Trump is seen as likely to lead a return to US isolation if he wins in November.

According to Reuters, Blinken told Wang that both Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris, the Democratic Party candidate, believed in the importance of stable US-China ties, and that a rules-based order must be upheld.

Zhu Feng, the executive dean of Nanjing University's School of International Studies, said that the timing the Wang-Blinken meeting was "important", as Biden's withdrawal from the presidential race had cast a shadow of uncertainty over Washington's China policy.

"Both China and the US see uncertainties in the bilateral relations, so it is a pretty good chance for the two countries' diplomatic leaders to sit down and talk through issues that they have concerns about," Zhu told the Post in an interview.

"As the US presidential election saw a dramatic change, Beijing is trying to find out if Biden's China policy would change, given his withdrawal. Meanwhile, China also hopes that Vice-President Harris will not speculate on China-related issues during her presidential campaign."

Josef Gregory Mahoney, a professor of politics and international relations at East China Normal University, also said that holding talks at this point in time was a "wise" move.

"The political situation in the White House is fraught given Trump's position in the race and Biden's withdrawal. While it's possible that Harris might win and even that Blinken might continue as secretary of state, change is coming regardless.

"It's not uncommon for major powers to have candid conversations about such developments in order to ensure there's less uncertainty and potential flashpoints as power transfers ... We know there is a great deal of anxiety around the world now about the election, and we know either side might be nervous and unnecessarily reactionary.

"Therefore having frank conversations might be wise."

Blinken's visit to Laos marks his 18th trip to Asia since taking office. After the Asean meeting, he will continue his tour of regional US allies, including Vietnam, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore and Mongolia.

Additional reporting by Reuters

This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright © 2024 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

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