US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called on his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi to speak out against Russian aggression in Ukraine. According to Blinken, China cannot maintain that it is “neutral” in the conflict as long as it continues to support Russia.
The foreign ministers of the United States and China met for five hours on Saturday on the Indonesian island of Bali, where the G20 summit took place in recent days. It was the first time since October that the two met. The aim was to prevent the tensions of recent times from unintentionally turning into conflict.
Afterwards, both ministers felt that the meeting had gone well. According to Blinken, the talks were “helpful, honest and constructive”. His Chinese counterpart Wang Yi said an agreement had been reached to improve relations. However, Blinken also strongly criticised the Chinese attitude towards Russia.
Russia was criticised at the G20 summit and, according to the US, now is the time for China to condemn the “clear aggressor”.
Blinken also said he expressed his concerns to Wang about human rights in China and the situation in Taiwan. He calls the peace and stability around the island that China claims is of “crucial importance”. The two ministers are also expected to prepare for a digital meeting between Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping. It should take place in the coming weeks.
