Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, on Feb. 16, 2024. Photo: Xinhua News Agency

 
At the request of the US side, China's top diplomat Wang Yi met with US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, according to an official from the Chinese Foreign Ministry who attended the meeting. During the meeting, which lasted for one hour and 40 minutes, the two sides exchanged views on China-US relations and international and regional issues of common interest.

According to the official, the two sides exchanged views on the implementation of the outcomes of the meeting between the two heads of state in San Francisco. They fully affirmed the positive progress made in recent months in the fields of diplomacy, the economy and trade, drug control, military, culture, and artificial intelligence, and discussed the planning of high-level exchanges and dialogue and cooperation in various fields in the next stage.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, expressed China's solemn position on issues such as Taiwan question, economic and trade and cooperation on technology, demanding that the US side refrain from taking actions that are inconsistent with the spirit of the San Francisco meeting and contradict the commitments made by US President Joe Biden.

Blinken emphasized that the meeting between the two heads of state in San Francisco was positive and significant, and has made tangible progress in stabilizing the bilateral relationship. The US side welcomes the positive momentum of implementing the consensus reached by the two heads of state and will continue to work toward developing a healthy economic and trade relationship with China and promoting people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.

Regarding the Taiwan question, Blinken reiterated the US' position, stating that the US is committed to the one-China policy, does not support "Taiwan independence," and does not seek to use the Taiwan question as a tool to contain China.

During the meeting, both sides exchanged views on issues such as Ukraine and the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue. Regarding the Ukraine issue, Wang pointed out that China is neither a creator nor a party to the conflict, and has been calling for dialogue to resolve the issue since the second day of the conflict.

China does not accept baseless accusations and pressure from the US, Wang said. On the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, Wang urged the US to reflect on its policy toward North Korea and take action to respond to North Korea's legitimate security concerns.

Both sides agreed to communicate through special envoys on Korean Peninsula affairs. Regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Wang pointed out that Palestine has not yet achieved its legitimate national rights and the establishment of an independent state. This is the root cause and core of all issues. The US should effectively promote a ceasefire and the "two-state solution." This is what major countries, including China and the US, should do, he noted.

Global Times