Secretary Blinken’s Visit to the People’s Republic of China (PRC)

The following is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller:

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken traveled to Beijing, the People’s Republic of China for meetings with President Xi Jinping, Director of the CCP Central Foreign Affairs Office Wang Yi, and State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang from June 18-19.

The two sides had candid, substantive, and constructive discussions on key priorities in the bilateral relationship and on a range of global and regional issues.  The Secretary emphasized the importance of maintaining open channels of communication across the full range of issues to reduce the risk of miscalculation.  He made clear that while we will compete vigorously, the United States will responsibly manage that competition so that the relationship does not veer into conflict.  The Secretary stressed that the United States would continue to use diplomacy to raise areas of concern as well as areas of potential cooperation where our interests align.

The two sides agreed to continue discussions on developing principles to guide the bilateral relationship, as discussed by President Biden and President Xi in Bali.  They also welcomed ongoing efforts to address specific issues in the bilateral relationship, and encouraged further progress, including through the joint Working Groups.  Noting the importance of ties between the people of the United States and the PRC, both sides welcomed strengthening people-to-people exchanges between students, scholars, and business.  This includes a commitment to working to increase the number of direct flights between the two countries.

Secretary Blinken emphasized that it remains a priority for the United States to resolve the cases of American citizens who are wrongfully detained or subject to exit bans in China.  He underscored the importance of working together to disrupt the global flow of synthetic drugs and their precursor chemicals into the United States, which fuels the fentanyl crisis.

The Secretary addressed the PRC’s unfair and nonmarket economic practices and recent actions against U.S. firms.  He discussed U.S. de-risking policies and the historic domestic investments the Administration has made.  The Secretary raised concerns about PRC human rights violations in Xinjiang, Tibet, and Hong Kong, as well as individual cases of concern.  He emphasized that the United States will always stand up for our values.

The Secretary underscored the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and reiterated there has been no change to the U.S. one China policy, based on the Taiwan Relations Act, the three Joint Communiques, and the Six Assurances.

The two sides discussed a range of global and regional security issues, including Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the DPRK’s provocative actions, and U.S. concerns with PRC intelligence activities in Cuba.  The Secretary made clear that the United States will work with its allies and partners to advance our vision for a world that is free, open, and upholds the rules-based international order.

The two sides underscored that the United States and China should work together to address shared transnational challenges, such as climate change, global macroeconomic stability, food security, public health, and counter-narcotics.  The Secretary encouraged further interaction between our governments on these and other areas, which is what the world expects of us.

Both sides agreed on follow-on senior engagements in Washington and Beijing to continue open lines of communication.  The Secretary invited State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin to Washington to continue the discussions, and they agreed to schedule a reciprocal visit at a mutually suitable time.