U.S. Secretary Blinken Talks with Chinese Diplomat Yang Jiechi

June 11, 2021 (EIRNS)—Secretary of State Anthony Blinken spoke by phone today with Politburo member and top diplomat Yang Jiechi. Yang urged that both sides should work to get the relationship back on track. He underlined the centrality of the one-China principle and said that the U.S. side should “exercise prudence” in dealing with the Taiwan issue. He also criticized the reemergence of the “lab theory” targetting the Wuhan Institute of Virology and urged the U.S. sides to “accept facts” and to focus instead on cooperation in overcoming the COVID pandemic. Declaring that dialogue and cooperation should be the mainstay of China-U.S. relations, Yang said cooperation must be mutually beneficial, and address each other’s concerns in a balanced manner. The Chinese side is committed to working with the United States to achieve a relationship of non-conflict, non-confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation, and will staunchly safeguard its sovereignty, security and development interests at the same time, Yang said.

The State Department readout said that Blinken urged cooperation and “transparency” with regard to the coronavirus origins and called for a “WHO Phase-2 expert-led studies” in China. This is quite different from the 90-day U.S. intelligence agency “investigation” of the Wuhan Institute of Virology, in which the IC has no intention of working with the WHO or the Chinese. The Yang and Blinken also discussed the D.P.R.K. policy review, which the White House is conducting, focussed on the need for both U.S. and China to work toward a denuclearized Korean Peninsula. The two also discussed Myanmar, Iran and the climate crisis.

Per usual, Blinken “expressed concern” about democratic rights in Hong Kong and “the ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity” against Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities. Blinken insisted Beijing to “cease its pressure campaign against Taiwan” and resolve the cross-Straits issue peacefully.