June 21, 2023

Akahata editorial (excerpts)

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently visited China and held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Chinese top diplomat Wang Yi. They could not bring about concrete outcomes toward resolution of serious issues, but the direct dialogue between high-ranking officials of both countries was a significant event.

In their talks, Wang in regard to the deteriorating bilateral relationship criticized the U.S. government. He said that the root cause is distorted U.S. perceptions of China, which has led to misguided policies targeting China. It is obvious that the U.S. Biden administration sees China as its "strategic competitor" and seeks to militarily encircle China.

Meanwhile, they agreed to continue high-level exchanges between the two governments and Blinken announced that he will invite China's State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang to visit the U.S.

China is attempting to change the status quo in the South and East China Seas by building artificial island defenses. This hegemonic act is jeopardizing the international order. Regarding Taiwan, both China's military preparedness and the strengthening of U.S. military involvement could lead to war.

The U.S. government is trying to bring its allies and "countries of the willing" over to its side to proceed with the U.S. "Plan for a Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP)" in order to make East Asia the "main stage" to stifle the rise of China. This is not a diplomatic route to resolve issues under dispute.

Taking the U.S.-China talks as an opportunity, the two governments should encourage more diplomatic dialogue and have close communication with each other over their conflicting viewpoints. Most importantly, both should stop their military buildup right now as it only impedes diplomatic efforts.

Past related article:
> Shii calls on Kishida to make efforts to improve bilateral relations with China in a positive manner [March 31, 2023]