Harsh Atmosphere at China-US Meeting

“This is not the way to receive your guests”. For example, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi dropped at the start of talks between the US and China in the US state of Alaska.

It is the first high-level US-Chinese meeting since Joe Biden took office as the new US president. The Chinese are displeased with America’s criticism of what they call “internal affairs.”

That the atmosphere was not the best was immediately apparent during the opening statements, in the press’s presence. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken focused on treating the Uyghurs in Xinjiang, the breakdown of political freedoms in Hong Kong, and Beijing’s threatening language towards Taiwan. The Chinese cyber attacks against the US also suffered.

Blinken’s strong language elicited a harsh response from the Chinese side. “The US has nothing to do with our domestic issues,” said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. And further: “The Americans themselves don’t have to be proud of the way they ‘slaughter’ their black citizens. And while China tackled the corona pandemic efficiently, COVID-19 continues to increase in the US.”

The top Chinese diplomat also denounced America’s position in the world. “They are using their military might and their financial hegemony to oppress other countries,” Wang Yi said. And so Wang went on for fifteen minutes, much longer than the usual two minutes for a public opening statement. (read more below the photo)