'Defensive' China claims 'smell of gunpowder & drama' after Alaska talks with NSA Blinken

China on Friday said that the "strong smell of gunpowder and drama" was the outcome of the dialogue with the American diplomats in Anchorage, Alaska, which was "entirely US' fault". Speaking at a Beijing state conference, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian made contentious remarks that the US pushed Chinese officials towards a hardened stance as they made "groundless attacks" on Chinese foreign officials and domestic policies. 

Lijian was referring to the first-ever high-level meeting held between the two nations since the Joe Biden administration took over. The talks, however, ended in heated exchanges after the two sides barbed on issues related to US-China bilateral relations, trade sanctions and concerns of Washington's allies in hour-long talks. 

As tensions escalated between the US delegation, which included US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and national security advisor Jake Sullivan and China’s Foreign minister and State Councilor Wang Yi and Yang Jiechi, as well as the director of Central Foreign Affairs Commission of CPC party, reporters were asked not to leave. The two nations clashed over former US President Trump’s trade policies that dismantled bilateral ties, cybersecurity and human rights issues, sources of AP have revealed.

In the combative dialogue held face-to-face between two nations which reporters described as "sharp and unusual public rebukes", US criticized China about Hong Kong and Xinjiang human rights abuses, while the Chinese delegation launched scathing attacks on the US saying it can no longer speak from "position of strength" asking Blinken to address "deep-seated issues" such as racism, berating US of incivility. 

Chinese state Councilor allegedly "irritated" Blinken in his 15-minute speech saying that the US must focus to do better as there are "many problems within" regarding human rights, which the US admitted, itself. He cited Black Lives Matter when Blinken raised issues of China's human rights violations in Xinjiang, territorial claims to Taiwan, and its expansive agenda in the South China sea. 

Blinken, meanwhile, reciprocated similar bitter sentiments in his opening remarks saying that the US was re-engaging with the international community after 4 years, and it was “hearing” deep concerns about “some of the actions your [Chinese] government is taking,” citing China’s belligerence and authoritarianism. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese Communist Party foreign affairs chief Yang Jiechi sparred against each other nation’s policies, as China’s Zhao intervened accusing the US state secretary of “overrunning agreed time”. The US, meanwhile, affronted the Chinese delegation accusing it of “grandstanding”. 

“We got a defensive response,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters after the meetings concluded.

“We wanted to share with them the significant concerns that we have about a number of the actions that China has taken, and behaviors exhibiting concerns, shared by our allies and partners,” he said.

[CPC foreign affairs chief Yang Jiechi. Credit: AP]

China 'will not accept criticism' says CPC chief

Chinese Communist Party foreign affairs chief Yang Jiechi said that China has "no intention" of backing down, adding that the country will "safeguard national sovereignty, security and its interest"."We hope the United States is not going to underestimate China’s determination to defend its territory, safeguard its people and defend its righteous interests," he told AP reporters.

National security adviser Jake Sullivan took an aim at China saying that the Chinese delegation took "assault on basic values". Yang also added, "China will not accept unwarranted accusations from the US side," adding that the dialogue plummeted relations "into a period of unprecedented difficulty" and "has damaged the interests" of two nations. "There is no way to strangle China," he said. 

(Image Credit: PRC, Ministry of Foreign Affairs)