Antony Blinken raises concerns over China's human rights violations

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (L) shakes hands with China`s Director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission Wang Yi at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on June 19. Pic/AFP

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, during his visit to Beijing, raised concerns about People's Republic of China (PRC's) human rights violations in Xinjiang, Tibet, and Hong Kong, as well as individual cases of concern, the US state department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement on Monday, news agency ANI reported.

According to ANI report, Blinken also stressed that the US will continue to work with its allies and partners to advance its vision for a world that is free, open, and upholds the 'rules-based international order'.

The top US diplomat during his two-day visit to Beijing, met 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.

US State Department spokesperson said in a press conference, "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 (Blinken) 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," Miller added.

The state department spokesperson 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 US firms. He discussed US 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," he said.

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

The US State Department spokesperson stated that the two sides agreed to continue discussions on developing principles to guide the bilateral relationship, as discussed by US President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping 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," he said.

Miller further pointed out that 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.

Further stating about the meeting, the spokesperson said that 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 US 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," Miller said.

He added, "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".

Blinken also invited State Councillor and Foreign Minister Qin to Washington to continue the discussions, and they agreed to schedule a reciprocal visit at a mutually suitable time.

(With inputs from ANI)