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FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT
WASHINGTON – The first US-China summit started very badly, with a bitter confrontation, almost a verbal fight, in front of the cameras. It ended with “some convergences on” climate change, “Iran, North Korea and Afghanistan.”, as reported by Secretary of State Antony Blinken. From Beijing, the official Xinhua news agency assures that the talks in Anchorage, Alaska were “frank, useful and constructive.” The delegations of the two superpowers met on Thursday night and they argued, “for several hours and frankly on a comprehensive agenda,” added US security adviser Jake Sullivan. It will soon be understood if a dialogue has been opened in Anchorage that could lead to the summit between Joe Biden and Xi Jinping, on April 22 on the sidelines of the climate conference.
The impact, Thursday night, had been of high tension. With a very tough exchange between Blinken and the foreign policy plenipotentiary of the Communist Party of China, Yang Jeichi. The hosts’ eve had made it known that there would be no final communiqué: a way to avoid spending the night arguing a few lines. But the Americans didn’t even want to dine with the guests, as is often the case on these occasions. A surprising tear, experienced by the Chinese delegation as a political insult. Blinken opened the session without filters: “We want to discuss our deep concerns about China’s actions, including those of Xinjang (the repression of the Uighur Muslim minority) in Hong Kong, Taiwan; not to mention cyber attacks on the United States … Each of these acts threatens the order of law that guarantees global stability.
Short reply by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi: “China urges the United States not to interfere in internal affairs. It is not a new attitude: it is time to change it. Then Yang Jiechi took the floor and held it for 15 minutes, instead of the two agreed upon at the beginning: “The United States uses its military force and financial hegemony to crush other countries; they abuse the so-called notion of national security to obstruct trade and incite some states to attack China. ” And again, a phrase halfway between the warning and a possible opening: “You must abandon this Cold War mentality … The United States has no title to claim that it can deal with China from a position of strength. This is not the way to approach our country … Cooperation can benefit both parties, but diplomatic protocol must be followed.
At that moment Sullivan came in: “We don’t want conflicts with you, but we are not afraid of tough competition.” All in front of the cameras and the reporters called back to the room by Blinken. Interestingly, the two sides challenged and even insulted each other on political principles. Blinken and Sullivan presented themselves as spokesmen for a large number of nations alarmed by Chinese expansionism. Backed by Joe Biden, of course, who yesterday said he was “proud of the Secretary of State.” Yang Jiechi and Wang Yi tried to dismantle what they consider to be an illegitimate moral pulpit, pointing out how full rights are denied to African Americans in the US. just look at the “Black Lives Matter” protests. A recurring theme in Chinese social propaganda, Twitter in particular. Now we start again from “some convergence” gained in the confidential meetings, which in the end lasted longer than expected.
March 19, 2021 (change March 20, 2021 | 00:27)
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