■ Talks between U.S. and Chinese diplomats on Monday highlighted sharp differences between the sides.
Official claims America suppressing development
TIANJIN, China — High-level face-to-face talks between U.S. and Chinese diplomats on Monday highlighted sharp differences between the sides, although the tone appeared less contentious than at their last meeting.
China issued a long list of demands and complaints, accusing the U.S. of trying to contain and suppress China’s development, while America brought up its concerns about human rights and other issues, and urged cooperation on matters such as climate change, Iran and North Korea.
Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng urged the U.S. “to change its highly misguided mindset and dangerous policy.”
Xie blamed the U.S. for a “stalemate” in bilateral relations, saying some Americans portray China as an “imagined enemy,” according to an official summary of his remarks during the meeting.
Xie met with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman at a closedoff resort hotel in Tianjin, about an hour from Beijing. Sherman is the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit China since President Joe Biden took office six months ago.
Relations between the countries deteriorated sharply under Biden’s predecessor, Donald Trump, and the two sides remain at odds over a host of issues, including technology, cybersecurity and human rights.
Xie said China wants to seek common ground while shelving differences, highlighting a divide in the basic approach to their relationship.
The Biden administration has said it will cooperate in areas such as climate but confront China in others such as human rights, describing the relationship as collaborative, competitive and adversarial.
“This is a process where we’ve taken another step,” Sherman said. “We came to these conversations not expecting any specific outcomes.”
Sherman held separate meetings Monday with both Xie, who is in charge of U.s.-china relations, and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
Her visit follows a highly fractious initial meeting in March in Anchorage, Alaska, where Wang and veteran Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi exchanged angry words with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and national security adviser Jake Sullivan.