Iclal Turan and Islamuddin Sajid
16 February 2024•Update: 17 February 2024
WASHINGTON / ISLAMABAD
China’s top diplomat told his US counterpart that if Washington really wants stability in the Taiwan Strait, it should abide by the one-China principle.
Meeting on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on Friday, Wang Yi and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed a number of issues including the Taiwan Strait and regional conflicts in Europe and the Mideast.
In a statement, China’s Foreign Ministry said Wang emphasized that there is only one China in the world and that Taiwan is part of China's territory, and that is the real status quo of the Taiwan issue.
"What attempts to change this status quo is the connivance and support of ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist activities and external forces. If the United States really wants stability in the Taiwan Strait, it should abide by the one-China principle and the three Sino-US joint communiques, and implement its statement of not supporting ‘Taiwan independence’ into practice," Wang told his counterpart, according to the statement.
“Engaging in ‘decoupling from China’ will eventually backfire on the United States itself," he warned.
Wang also asked the US to lift "illegal unilateral sanctions" from Chinese companies and individuals and to not harm China's legitimate development rights.
Blinken and Wang also discussed Russia’s war in Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East, according to the US.
"The two sides had a candid and constructive discussion on a range of bilateral, regional, and global issues as part of ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communication and responsibly manage competition in the relationship," State Department Spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement.
Blinken emphasized the importance of "continuing to implement the progress made by the two Presidents at the Woodside Summit (last November) including on counternarcotics cooperation and military-to-military communications,” he added.
The top US diplomat also emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and in the South China Sea and spoke on a range of regional and global issues, according to his spokesman.
Blinken raised concerns over China's support for Russia’s war on Ukraine, including support for the Russian defense industrial base, according to the statement.
"The two sides also exchanged views on the situation in the Middle East and on the Korean Peninsula and affirmed that their respective senior officials should meet to follow up on these discussions," Miller said, "The Secretary discussed his recent travel in the Middle East and U.S. diplomatic efforts in the region."
The two diplomats also agreed on consultations and high-level meetings in key areas in the coming months.
