US Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently met with the Foreign Minister of the People's Republic of China, Wang Yi, to discuss global issues. The meeting was an attempt to maintain healthy communication between the two nations and took place during the Munich Security Conference in Germany.
According to a press release by the U.S. Department of State, their discussion covered a wide range of topics including bilateral, regional, and global issues. The goal was to manage the competitive aspect of the relationship between the two countries. Tensions have been escalating due to disputes over Taiwan and competition in mass production of semiconductors and advancements in Artificial Intelligence. Blinken stressed the importance of maintaining stability across both the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea, which included avoiding any escalation of existing peace in these regions. Blinken also expressed concern over China's support for Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine, which includes aiding Russia's defense industrial base.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China released a statement stating that during this meeting, Wang reiterated that Taiwan is part of China's territory - a claim made despite Taiwan never historically being under Chinese control. The statement further emphasized that US support for Taiwanese independence poses a risk and urged the United States to abide by the one-China principle and refrain from supporting Taiwan. Additionally, they discussed cooperation between China and the US on counter-narcotics efforts aimed at reducing illegal substance smuggling and usage in both countries.
Tensions have been rising rapidly since October 7, 2022 when the United States imposed restrictions on exports of microchips and semiconductors to China. According to information from the Council on Foreign Relations, these restrictions were put in place because exported items were being used by China to produce advanced military systems. This led to US companies needing approval from their government before exporting chips.
