World News | US-China Ties Face New Test as Top Officials Meet in Alaska

Anchorage, Mar 18 (AP) The United States and China will face a new test in their increasingly troubled relations when top officials from both countries meet in Alaska.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived Thursday in Anchorage for two days of talks after a trip to Japan and South Korea, where discussions about the world's two largest economies were a major topic.

Blinken and Jake Sullivan, President Joe Biden's national security adviser, planned to meet with China's top two diplomats, State Councilor Wang Yi and Chinese Communist Party foreign affairs chief Yang Jiechi.

Difficult discussions are anticipated over trade, human rights in Tibet, Hong Kong and China's western Xinjiang region as well as Taiwan, China's assertiveness in the South China Sea and the coronavirus pandemic.

No agreements are expected and the White House framed it as an initial chance to address intense disagreements.

US-China ties have been torn for years, and the Biden administration has yet to signal whether it's ready or willing to back down on the hard-line stances taken under President Donald Trump.

Nor has China signalled whether it's prepared to ease the pressure it has brought to bear.

“We are clear-eyed about Beijing's consistent failure to uphold its commitments, and we spoke about how Beijing's aggressive and authoritarian behaviour are challenging the stability, security and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region," Blinken said before leaving South Korea.

China fired back.

“There's no room for China to compromise on issues related to sovereign security and core interests, and its determination and will to safeguard its core interests is unwavering,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said.

Blinken joined Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in Asia, where they promoted the administration's commitment to its treaty allies.

Just a day before the meeting with the Chinese officials, Blinken announced new sanctions over Beijing's crackdown on pro-democracy advocates in Hong Kong.

In response, the Chinese stepped up the rhetoric opposing US interference in domestic affairs.

China slammed the US criticism of the move to give a pro-Beijing committee power to appoint more of Hong Kong's lawmakers.

That reduces the proportion of those directly elected and ensures that only those determined to be truly loyal to Beijing are allowed to run for office — effectively shutting opposition figures out of the political process.

China's ambassador to the United States held out hopes the meetings would pave the way for better communication.

“Naturally, we don't expect one round of dialogue will resolve all the issues between China and the US and we don't hold overly high hopes,” Cui Tiankai said in a transcript of his comments posted on the embassy's website.

“My wish is that this can be a start and that the two sides can begin a dialogue process that is candid, constructive and realistic,” Cui said.

“If we can achieve that, I think this exchange will be successful.”

Blinken said the US "will push back if necessary when China uses coercion or aggression to get its way.” (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)