“This is not a strategic dialogue. There is no intention at this point for a series of subsequent commitments. These commitments, if they are to follow, really have to be based on the proposition that we are seeing tangible progress and tangible results on the issues facing us. care about China. “
It was important for the government to meet with China for the first time on American soil and after consulting Asian and European allies, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Wednesday. The authorities will discuss issues on which the two sides have “deep disagreements,” said Psaki.
“We intend to discuss our expectations and will be frank in explaining Beijing’s actions … and our concerns about the challenges they pose to the security and values of the United States and our allies and partners,” she said. “We are also going to talk about areas where we can cooperate, of mutual interest. Obviously, we are approaching these discussions with clear eyes. The meeting also offers an opportunity to emphasize how the United States will defend the international rule-based system and a free and open Indo-Pacific. “
The United States will approach China from a “position of strength” and “in tune with our allies and partners,” said Psaki.
The meeting will take place after President Joe Biden made his first official call to President Xi Jinping of China last month, after several weeks of silence. In that call, Biden challenged Xi on a number of issues, including China’s “coercive and unfair economic practices”, “repression in Hong Kong” and “human rights abuses in Xinjiang”, among other things, according to one reading of the call.
Biden announced the creation of a Pentagon task force for China last month, sending a message that the United States would not flee China.
In a speech last week at the State Department, Blinken discussed rivalries with “big powers” like China and called on the United States to support workers to help them face China.
“China is the only country with the economic, diplomatic, military and technological power to seriously challenge the stable and open international system – all the rules, values and relationships that make the world work the way we want to,” said Blinken in Fala.
Steven Overly contributed to this report.