WASHINGTON – From Japanese soil, Secretary of State Antony Blinken has criticized China’s widespread use of “coercion and aggression” on the international stage and warned that the United States will resort if necessary.
“China uses coercion and aggression to systematically erode autonomy in Hong Kong, diminish democracy in Taiwan, abuse human rights in Xinjiang and Tibet, and claim claims in the South China Sea that violate international law.” , Blinken told a news conference.
“We are united in the vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region, where countries respect the rules, cooperate whenever they can and resolve their differences peacefully. And, in particular, we will push back, if necessary, when China uses coercion or aggression to make its way, “he added.
Blinken’s comments come days before he and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan hold high-level, in-person talks with Chinese officials. Blinken and Sullivan will meet with Yang Jiechi of the People’s Republic of China, a member of the Communist Party’s main decision-making body, and Wang Yi, the foreign minister, in Alaska.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Tuesday that Beijing hopes a stronger US-Japan relationship will not harm others in the region.
“We believe that cooperation and communication between Japan and the US should strengthen regional understanding and trust, should be beneficial to cooperation between countries in the region and beneficial for peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region and should not target a third party. or it affects the interests of any third party, “he said at a news conference, according to an English translation.
President Joe Biden, who spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping last month, said earlier that his approach to China would be different from that of his predecessor, in the sense that he would work more closely with allies to lift the push against Beijing.
“We will face China’s economic abuses,” Biden said in a State Department speech, describing Beijing as “America’s most serious competitor.”
“But we are also ready to work with Beijing when it is in America’s interest to do so. We will compete from a strong position by rebuilding better at home and working with our allies and partners.”
In February, Biden announced a new Defense Department working group to assess China’s US military strategy.
“This is how we will meet China’s challenge and ensure that the American people win the competition in the future,” Biden said during his first visit as commander-in-chief of the Pentagon.
The nation’s chief diplomat and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin arrived in Tokyo on Tuesday in an effort to strengthen alliances and reaffirm commitments with key US partners in the region. On Wednesday, the two will travel to Seoul, where they plan to discuss security cooperation and the challenges posed largely by China and North Korea. Blinken and Austin’s joint trip is the first trip abroad for the two under Biden.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi attend the 2 + 2 meeting at the Iikura Guest House in Tokyo, Japan, March 16, 2021.
Kim Kyung-Hoon | Reuters
Also on Tuesday, North Korea broke its silence for the first time since Biden became president and sent an aggressive message to the United States.
“We take this opportunity to warn the new US administration that is trying hard to let go. [gun] smell of powder in our country, “said Kim Yo Jong, the strong sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, referring to joint military exercises in the US and South Korea in the region.
“If [the U.S.] he wants to sleep peacefully for the next four years, it would be good to refrain from causing a stench at his first step, “she added, according to an English translation.
The Biden administration has tried unsuccessfully to restart nuclear talks with North Korea.
Under the North Korean leadership of the third generation, Kim Jong Un, the state exclusively conducted the most powerful nuclear test, launched the first intercontinental ballistic missile and threatened to send missiles into the waters near US territory Guam.
Since 2011, Kim has launched more than 100 missiles and conducted four tests with nuclear weapons, which is more than what his father, Kim Jong Il and grandfather, Kim Il Sung, launched over a period of 27 years.
He has not conducted any missile tests since Biden’s inauguration on January 20th.