US – China hold talks at the G20 Summit

The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the G20 Summit.

President Xi Jinping did not attend the Summit this year but gave a video message which largely dealt with climate change and COVID-19 vaccinations.

As part of our effort to maintain open communication with the PRC and manage our competition responsibly, I met with State Councilor Wang Yi. The United States will work with the PRC when our interests align and will continue to raise concerns on human rights and other issues. pic.twitter.com/PY47cFxVr5

— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) October 31, 2021

While the US-China relations are strained over a host of issues, tensions are now running high, particularly around Taiwan.

China considers Taiwan a breakaway province, and its Foreign Minister Wang Yi had very recently said that Taiwan has no choice but ‘reunification’ with the Mainland.

In a more recent interview with CNN, Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen has said that they will go to any extent to defend their democracy and way of life and will increase their ‘self-defense’ capabilities.

The US is committed to providing self-defense capabilities to Taiwan as per the ‘Taiwan Relations Act.’

Mr. Wang Yi is reported to have asked Mr. Blinken that the US stand by the ‘One-China’ policy.

Mr. Blinken told his Chinese counterpart that the US and China could work together on areas where their interests align, such as North Korea, Burma, Iran, Afghanistan, and the climate crisis.

But he expressed concerns over human rights issues, Xinjiang, Tibet, Hong Kong, the East and South China Seas, and Taiwan, and urged for an international rules-based order.