This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told his Chinese counterpart that Beijing’s political support for Russia’s war with Ukraine is complicating the relationship with Washington.
“We are concerned about [China’s] alignment with Russia,” Blinken told reporters on July 9 after the Group of 20 summit at the Indonesian resort of Bali.
In five hours of discussions, Blinken said he expressed deep concern to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi about Bejing’s stance on Russia’s actions in Ukraine and that he did not accept China’s claims that it is neutral in the conflict.
Blinken said it would be difficult to be “neutral” in a war in which there is a clear aggressor, but that even if possible, “I don’t believe China is acting in a way that is neutral.”
Washington had hoped Beijing would join the West in condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, given China’s long-stated view of opposing what it sees as interference in its own internal affairs.
Wang blamed Washington for the tensions between the two superpowers and said U.S. policy is being led by what he called a misperception of China as a threat.
“Many people believe that the United States is suffering from a China-phobia,” he said in a statement.
Blinken said he and Wang discussed a range of difficult issues, including trade, human rights, Taiwan, and disputes in the South China Sea.
Blinken said that “moving forward, the United States wants our channels of communication with Beijing to continue to remain open.”
