Blinken meets China's Wang Yi, raises concerns about Beijing's actions to undermine Taiwan

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken underscored the importance of maintaining open lines of communication to responsibly manage the competition between the United States and the People’s Republic of China (PRC), during a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister (FM) Wang Yi on Sunday, as confirmed by State Department spokesman Ned Price in a statement. The leaders met on the sidelines of the Group of Twenty (G20) Summit amid a fresh row between Beijing and Washington over the "meaningful participation" of Taiwan in the UN, as proposed by Blinken. The hour-long "candid conversation", as described by Blinken, aimed at opening a line of communication with China and set a virtual meeting later this year between Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, AP reported.

In the high-voltage meeting, the Secretary affirmed the areas where their interests intersect and where they can work together, including the DPRK, Burma, Iran, Afghanistan, and the climate crisis. He also raised concerns about a range of PRC actions that undermine the international rules-based order and that run counter to "our values and interests and those of our allies and partners, including actions related to human rights, Xinjiang, Tibet, Hong Kong, the East, and South China Seas, and Taiwan", Price mentioned in his statement. In the meeting, Blinken also stated that China has increased tensions concerning Taiwan and that Washington recognises "One China" Policy,  but allows Taiwan to maintain informal defence ties with the US, AP reported quoting an official under conditions of anonymity.

The discussion comes amid tattered ties between the two largest economies. It is to be noted that just ahead of the global summit, Wang Yi on Friday stated that Taiwan has no future other than reuniting with Beijing. "If they persist, they will pay the price," he said in a cryptic message, as per ANI.

Blinken calls for 'meaningful participation' of Taiwan in UN

In a major move, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on 26 October urged all United Nations' members to back a "meaningful participation" of Taiwan in the global system. Dubbing Taiwan's resistance against China as a "democratic success story," Blinken asserted that the former's respect for human rights, the Rule of Law, and values align with those of the UN. The State Secretary's appeal comes on the sidelines of increased support to the island amid rising tensions with China.

"As the international community faces an unprecedented number of complex and global issues, it is critical for all stakeholders to help address these problems.  This includes the 24 million people who live in Taiwan.  Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the UN system is not a political issue, but a pragmatic one," Blinken had said in a statement.

(Image: AP)