China’s FM reprimands U.S., says ‘top priority’ is to stabilize relations

China’s top diplomat reprimanded the Biden administration in a meeting with the American ambassador in Beijing on Monday, according to Chinese officials, saying Washington alone is to blame for spiking tensions between the nations.

Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang told Ambassador Nicholas Burns that “a series of erroneous words and deeds” by the Biden administration — particularly relating to U.S. support for Taiwan — has increased tensions. He went on to claim the top priority now is to stabilize the relationship to prevent a downward spiral.

A Foreign Ministry summary of Mr. Qin’s remarks made no mention of China’s own actions, such as the suspected spy balloon that flew over the U.S. homeland, its rhetorical support for Russia following its invasion of Ukraine, its expansive territorial claims in the South China Sea or Beijing’s increasingly aggressive military posture toward Taiwan.

Mr. Burns tweeted a photo of the meeting Monday and offered only a terse, neutral summary of the talks, saying he and Mr. Qin “discussed challenges in the U.S.-China relationship and the necessity of stabilizing ties and expanding high-level communication.” Mr. Burns and other top administration officials have signaled a desire to return to more frequent talks with senior leaders in Beijing.

The meeting in Beijing was the first between Mr. Burns and Mr. Qin since the spy balloon incident in February that ended when President Biden ordered the U.S. military to destroy the craft. Secretary of State Antony Blinken canceled a planned fence-mending trip to Beijing in the wake of the incident, a trip that has yet to be rescheduled.

Mr. Biden had sought to generate positive momentum in the relationship by meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping last November in Indonesia on the sidelines of the Group of 20 gathering in Bali, Indonesia. But diplomatic interactions subsequently stalled.

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Tensions have also risen around Taiwan. China’s ruling Communist Party claims sovereignty over the island democracy and has been stepping up efforts to isolate it internationally.

Chinese officials most recently expressed outrage when Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen transited through the U.S. on the way to Latin America last month, highlighted by a meeting with Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California. China responded with increased military moves near Taiwan, as it did when then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited in 2020.

The Biden administration has responded with increased military and diplomatic moves of its own in the region, including ramped-up joint exercises with allies on China’s periphery, including South Korea, Japan, Australia and the Philippines.

The issue of Taiwan’s status has become more vexing for Washington since 2019, when the Xi government began saying it reserves the right to use force to bring the island democracy under the control of the Chinese Communist Party. Mr. Biden has repeatedly said U.S. forces would defend Taiwan in the event of an attack from mainland China.

At the same time, however, administration officials have said the U.S. remains committed to the “One China” policy, under which Washington has long acknowledged Beijing’s position that Taiwan is part of China. Though the U.S. maintains informal diplomatic relations and substantial defense ties with Taipei, it does not technically recognize Chinese sovereignty.

Mr. Qin, the Chinese foreign minister, took issue with the U.S. position on Monday. According to the foreign ministry in Beijing, he told Mr. Burns that “we must correctly handle the Taiwan issue, stop hollowing out the One China principle, and stop supporting and condoning ’Taiwan independence’ separatist forces.”

The foreign minister separately accused the U.S. of pushing policies aimed at “suppressing and containing China.”

In an apparent reference to Beijing’s frustration over the U.S. shootdown of the suspected spy balloon, Mr. Qin said: “It is necessary to persist in handling unexpected incidents in the relationship between the two countries in a calm, professional and pragmatic manner, so as to avoid another impact on Sino-U.S. relations.”

“We should promote dialogue and cooperation on the basis of mutual respect, reciprocity and mutual benefit,” the foreign minister said. He added: “I hope that Ambassador Burns will have more contacts, exchanges, and reflections in China, so as to serve as a bridge between China and the United States and make constructive efforts.”