China’s top diplomat yesterday warned the US not to cross the country’s “red line,” in a pointed speech that pushed back against early moves by US President Joe Biden to press Beijing on human rights.
Yang Jiechi (楊潔篪), a politburo member and head of the Chinese Communist Party’s foreign affairs office, said in a video address to the New York-based National Committee on US-China Relations that the two sides “stand at a key moment” to rebuild ties and cooperate after Biden’s inauguration.
However, he placed the onus on Washington to repair the damage caused by the “misguided policies” of former US president Donald Trump.
Photo: AP
“We in China hope that the United States will rise above the outdated mentality of zero-sum, major-power rivalry and work with China to keep the relationship on the right track,” Yang said, a former minister of foreign affairs.
Yang urged the US to stop “harassing Chinese students, restricting Chinese media outlets, shutting down Confucius Institutes and suppressing Chinese companies,” and said that Hong Kong, Tibet and Xinjiang affairs were a “red line that must not be crossed.”
“China and the United States are two large countries with different histories, cultures and systems, and thus have differences on some issues. It is crucial to properly control them and not allow them to interfere with the overall development of bilateral relations,” he said.
The US should fulfill its commitments to Beijing, “abide by the one China principle, and effectively respect China’s position and concerns on the Taiwan issue,” he added.
The speech represented Beijing’s most high-profile appeal to an American audience since Biden took power on Jan. 20. Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) was among the last world leaders to congratulate Biden on his election victory over Trump in November, and the two men have yet to speak after the inauguration.
The Biden administration has signaled a desire to maintain the pressure on China from trade and human rights. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during an appearance on MSNBC on Monday that the US should give “haven” to people fleeing political repression in Hong Kong.
He had previously said that China’s policies toward its Muslim minority in Xinjiang amounted to genocide.
Additional reporting by AP
Typhoon Usagi yesterday had weakened into a tropical storm, but a land warning issued by the Central Weather Administration (CWA) was still in effect in four areas in southern Taiwan. As of 5pm yesterday, Tropical Storm Usagi was over waters 120km south-southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), the southernmost tip of Taiwan proper, and was moving north at 9kph, CWA data showed. The storm was expected to veer northeast later yesterday. It had maximum sustained winds of 101kph, with gusts of up to 126kph, the data showed. The CWA urged residents of Kaohsiung, Pingtung County, Taitung County and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春) to remain alert to
ONE LAST TALK: While Xi said that Taiwan was a ‘red line,’ Biden, in what is likely his last meeting with Xi as president, called for an end to China’s military activity around Taiwan China’s military intimidation and economic coercion against Taiwan are the main causes of tensions that are destabilizing peace in the Taiwan Strait, Taipei said yesterday while thanking US President Joe Biden for expressing Washington’s firm stance of maintaining peace and stability in the region. Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) met on Saturday for their third meeting and their first talks in seven months on the sidelines of the APEC forum in Lima, Peru. It was likely Biden’s last meeting as president with Xi. During their conversation, Biden reiterated the US’ opposition to any unilateral change to the “status quo” from either
Taiwan would participate in the 2026 APEC summit to be hosted by China after Beijing promised it would ensure the personal safety of attendees, Taiwanese national security sources said yesterday. The APEC Leaders’ Machu Picchu Declaration announced yesterday said that China would host the APEC summit in 2026. Beijing proposed hosting the summit shortly before this year’s gathering began on Friday, a national security official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Many APEC members expressed concerns about China hosting the event and said that prior communication over the decision was insufficient, the official said. Taiwan brought up concerns about legal “guidelines” China announced in
MEET AND GREET: The White House, which called the interaction ‘just a handshake,’ did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether Biden planned to visit Taiwan’s envoy to the APEC summit, Lin Hsin-i (林信義), on Friday invited US President Joe Biden to visit Taiwan. During the APEC Leaders’ Informal Dialogue, Lin, who represented President William Lai (賴清德) at the summit, spoke with Biden and expressed gratitude to the outgoing US president for his contribution to improving bilateral ties between Taipei and Washington over the past four years, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. Lin and Biden exchanged views during the conversation, with Lin extending an invitation to Biden to visit Taiwan, it said. Biden is to step down in January next year, when US president-elect Donald Trump is
RSS