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Blinken meets China's Wang Yi in Jakarta to 'responsibly manage competition'

Meeting part of ongoing efforts to 'maintain open channels of communication', and 'to responsibly manage competition', says State Dept.

09:42 - 14/07/2023 Friday
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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese diplomat Wang Yi
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese diplomat Wang Yi

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a "candid and constructive" meeting with top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi on Thursday in Indonesia's capital, Jakarta, according to the State Department.

The meeting between the top US and Chinese diplomats, who were in Jakarta for meetings of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), came less than a month after Blinken paid a visit to Beijing.

"The meeting was part of ongoing efforts to maintain open channels of communication to clarify U.S. interests across a wide range of issues and to responsibly manage competition by reducing the risk of misperception and miscalculation. This is what the world expects of the United States and the PRC (People's Republic of China)," Spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement.

Miller said Blinken and Wang Yi had "candid and constructive discussions on a range of bilateral, regional, and global issues, including on areas of difference and potential areas of cooperation".

"The Secretary emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait," he said said.

According to the statement, Blinken used the meeting to "advance U.S. interests and values, to directly raise concerns" shared by the US and allies and partners regarding Chinese actions, and "advocate for progress on transnational challenges" that affect people in the US, China, and around the world.

"He made clear that the United States, together with our allies and partners, will advance our vision for a free, open, and rules-based international order. The two sides agreed to maintain open channels of communication in the weeks and months ahead," Miller said.

#Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
#Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi
#Jakarta
#US Secretary of State Antony Blinken
10 months ago