China Berates U.S. in Alaska Showdown

03/19/2021

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Colm Quinn | Foreign Policy

An Explosive Start to U.S.-China Talks

Discussions between top U.S. and Chinese officials are set to continue this morning in Anchorage, Alaska, after a day of talks that was marked by an unapologetic opening diatribe from a senior Chinese official.

The meeting began with an opening statement by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken laying out U.S. concerns with Chinese actions over Xinjiang, Hong Kong, and Taiwan as well as recent cyberattacks. “Each of these actions threaten the rules-based order that maintains global stability,” Blinken said.

Yang Jiechi, a top-ranking diplomat and former Chinese ambassador to the United States, then excoriated the United States in a 15-minute speech, during which he charged the United States with hypocrisy on human rights and its treatment of minorities, criticized U.S. foreign interventions, and accused U.S. officials of possessing a “cold war mentality.”

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