In a sharp response to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken calling out Beijing for its gross human rights violations in Xinjiang and Hong Kong, the top foreign policy aide to Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Yang Jiechi has said “let’s each manage our own business.”
Yang told Blinken during their Friday call that the US should “correct recent mistakes, and work with China to promote the healthy and stable development of China-US relations by upholding the spirit of non-conflict, non-confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation,” according to a statement released by the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
Yang said that both sides should respect the other’s core interests, as well as political systems and developmental paths of their own choosing, according to the statement.
“Each side should focus on taking care of its own domestic affairs. China will firmly continue down the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics and no one can stop the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation,” Yang said.
Under former US President Donald Trump, the relations between Washington and Beijing went on a downward slope. Now, the statements from US President Joe Biden suggest there will be little in the way of pullback.
In a speech last week, Biden described China as the US’ “most serious competitor” and outlined plans to confront Beijing’s “attack on human rights, intellectual property, and global governance.”
Yang highlighted several major sources of continued tension between the two countries, including Taiwan over which Beijing claims full sovereignty.
The Chinese government has “stepped-up” military activity around Taiwan since Biden took office, sending combat aircraft, including H-6K bombers, into Taiwan’s air defence identification zone on several occasions in what was seen as a direct message to the new US administration that China will not relent on its claims of sovereignty over the island.
“The United States should strictly abide by the one-China principle and the three Sino-US joint communiques. Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Tibet-related affairs are all China’s internal affairs and allow no interference by any external forces. Any attempt to slander and smear China will not succeed, and China will continue to firmly safeguard its sovereignty, security and development interests,” the statement read.
Blinken, in the call, conveyed that Washington will continue to stand up for human rights and democratic values, including in Xinjiang, Tibet, and Hong Kong, and will hold Beijing accountable for its abuses of the international system.
As per the statement by the Department of State, Blinken said that the “United States will work together with its allies and partners in defence of our shared values and interests to hold the PRC accountable for its efforts to threaten stability in the Indo-Pacific”, including across the Taiwan Strait, and its undermining of the rules-based international system.
“In my call with my counterpart in Beijing, Yang Jiechi, I made clear the U.S. will defend our national interests, stand up for our democratic values, and hold Beijing accountable for its abuses of the international system,” the top US diplomat tweeted.