Washington: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and China’s Minister of the International Liaison Department Liu Jianchao had a constructive discussion on issues related to stability on the Taiwan Strait among other bilateral and global issues, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a press release.
The meeting took place ahead of Taiwan’s elections on Saturday, which is causing a bit of tension between both sides as they monitor the situation closely.
“Blinken reiterated the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and in the South China Sea,” Miller said on Friday.
Miller said Blinken and Liu had a “constructive” discussion on areas of potential cooperation and areas of difference.
Both sides highlighted the importance of continuing to maintain open channels of communication between the United States and China, Miller added.
The two sides exchanged views on matters concerning Ukraine, North Korea, and the Middle East.
Moreover, both sides reaffirmed the importance of continuing to implement the progress made on key issues, particularly counter-narcotics cooperation and military-to-military communications, according to Miller.
Blinken also emphasized the importance of resolving the cases of American citizens who are “wrongfully” detained or subject to exit bans in China, Miller said.
