US State Secy Blinken asserts China poses serious long-term challenges to int'l order

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday addressed the Joe Biden administration's policy towards China and proclaimed that Beijing poses the most serious long-term challenge to the international order. He also asserted that China is the only country with the ambition to reshape the international order and has the economic, diplomatic, military and technological power to do so. Blinken also noted that US policy has not changed and that the Biden administration is committed to a "One China" policy which recognizes only one Chinese government while allowing the US to maintain an unofficial engagement with Taiwan.

He said, "We do not support Taiwan's independence, and we expect cross-strait differences to be resolved by peaceful means. Our policy has not changed. What has changed is Beijing’s growing coercion, like trying to cut off Taiwan’s relations with countries around the world and blocking it from participating in international organizations."

US will continue to enhance its cooperation with Taiwan

Nevertheless, Blinken also noted that the US will continue to enhance its cooperation with Taiwan on many common interests and values as well as deepen its economic relations consistently with its One China policy. He admitted that the US will face competition from China on a variety of fronts. However, he added that they will coordinate their activities with a network of allies and partners who share a similar goal and cause. Blinken further noted that they will compete with China to protect their interests and their future vision. The US State Secretary continued by stating that the Joe Biden government will continue to make strategic investments in education, research, sophisticated manufacturing, and infrastructure in order to challenge Beijing's global leadership in these sectors.

He acknowledged that they have differences with the Chinese Communist government but said that those differences are between the governments and not the people and that the Americans have great respect for the Chinese people. He said, "We respect their achievements, their history and their culture. We sincerely wish the government to work together on issues that matter in their lives and to the lives of Americans."

Blinken criticized Beijing's human rights violations

Antony Blinken criticized Beijing's human rights violations in the Xinjiang region of China as Uyghurs and other Muslims. He further said that they see how Beijing has perfected mass surveillance within China and exported the technology to over 80 countries, how it's advancing illegal maritime claims in the South China Sea, undermining peace and security, freedom of navigation, and commerce, how it's circumventing or breaking trade rules, harming workers and companies in the United States and around the world.

Image: AP