The two top diplomats of the United States and China clashed in a testy verbal exchange over China's alleged human rights and geopolitical abuses during their first virtual meeting.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Yang Jiechi, Director of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC), sparred over a broad range of global issues mainly involving perceived Chinese excesses in their online conversation.
Blinken flat out told Yang the Biden administration holds China accountable for its human rights violations, especially against ethnic Chinese minorities such as the Muslim Uighurs in Xinjiang province.
He also warned China Washington would work with its allies to hold China to account for what he said are its efforts that threaten international stability, particularly in the Taiwan Strait and against Taiwan or the Republic of China.
"Secretary Blinken stressed the United States will continue to stand up for human rights and democratic values, including in Xinjiang, Tibet, and Hong Kong, and pressed China to join the international community in condemning the military coup in Burma," said Department of State spokesman Ned Price.
Price said Blinken reaffirmed the United States will work together with its allies and partners in defense of their shared values and interests "to hold the PRC accountable for its efforts to threaten stability in the Indo-Pacific, including across the Taiwan Strait, and its undermining of the rules-based international system."
Yang took umbrage at Blinken's allegations, telling the U.S. not to interfere in China's internal affairs in Hong Kong, Xinjiang, and Tibet. Yang warned Blinken any attempt to slander China would eventually prove unsuccessful.
Yang reminded Blinken Hong Kong-, Xinjiang- and Tibet-related affairs are all China's internal affairs and allow no interference by any external force.
"China will continue to firmly preserve our sovereignty, safety, and interest of development," Yang told Bliken.
Yang called on the Biden administration for "no confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation" when speaking bilateral ties. He asked the Americans to respect each other's core interests and choices of the political system and development path and manage their domestic affairs well.
"Let's each manage our own business," said Yang to Blinken.
Yang also told Washington to strictly abide by the One-China Policy and the three China-U.S. joint communique that China interprets as U.S. recognition Taiwan is a province of China and not an independent state.
China says these documents show Washington recognizes the government of the People's Republic of China as the sole legal government of China. This means the U.S. should cease any form of official exchange and military contact with Taiwan.
Yang called Taiwan "the most important and sensitive problem" in the relationship between China and the U.S. He said the festering Taiwan issue continues to sour China-U.S. relations.
