The first face-to-face meeting between senior Chinese and U.S. officials from the Biden administration has wrapped up in Alaska.
In a press conference afterwards CPC Politburo member Yang Jiechi said the China-U.S. talks were candid, constructive and beneficial. "But of course, there are still differences between the two sides."
Yang Jiechi also said, “We came to the meeting with the hope the two sides could enhance communication and dialogue on different fronts. The two sides should follow the policy of 'no conflict' to guide our path towards a healthy and stable trajectory moving forward."
China’s State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said, the Chinese delegation comes to Alaska with strong sincerity. Dialogue is better than confrontation. He also said China made it clear to the U.S. side on the Alaska talks that sovereignty is a matter of principle and told the U.S. not to underestimate China's determination to defend it.
As the U.S. delegation exited the meeting, U.S. Secretary of State Blinken told reporters that the U.S. delegation knew there are a number of areas where China and the U.S. would be at odds, but the two parties were also able to have a very candid discussion on areas where their interests meet.
Blinken said the two worked on an expansive agenda on Iran, Afghanistan, DPRK, and climate change. "We wanted to lay out our policies, priorities, and world view and we did that," Blinken said.
