Antony Blinken says nations were candid in first ‘tough’ US-China dialogue

The first round of diplomatic talks between China and US President Biden’s administration were held in Alaska on Thursday and Friday. 

Described as “tough and direct”, US diplomats said that the rival nations do have certain areas of coinciding interests. 

The dialogue started on a heated note with top diplomats from both countries calling out the other over disruptive actions which impacted global stability. 

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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said after the first three sessions held on Thursday and early Friday that they were candid about their concerns over China’s actions in cyberspace, Hong Kong and Taiwan, reported AFP. 

Meanwhile, top Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi said the first talks between Beijing and US President Joe Biden’s administration were “candid, constructive and helpful,” but warned that differences remain, state news agency Xinhua reported early Saturday.

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“There are still some important differences between the two sides,” added Xinhua.

Blinken said that the Chinese side was defensive “but we were also able to have a very candid conversation over these many hours on an expansive agenda. On Iran, on North Korea. On Afghanistan on climate, our interests intersect.”

White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said, “We expected to have tough and direct talks on a wide range of issues, and that’s exactly what he had. We are clear-eyed coming out, and we will go back to Washington to take stock of where we are. We’ll continue to consult with allies and partners on the way forward.”