China says talks with US in Bangkok “clear, concrete”

US, China talk about Taiwan, where elections were held this month (Representational)

Beijing:

China said on Saturday that top diplomat Wang Yi and US national security adviser Jake Sullivan held “candid, concrete and meaningful” talks in the Thai capital Bangkok, where issues including Taiwan were discussed.

Beijing and Washington have clashed in recent years over issues ranging from technology and trade to human rights, as well as over self-ruled islands and competing claims in the South China Sea.

In an effort to improve some of the worst relations in decades, US President Joe Biden met with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in San Francisco in November, which both sides described as a worthy success.

“Wang and Sullivan had clear, concrete and clear views on implementing the consensus reached at the San Francisco meeting and properly handling important and sensitive issues in China-US relations,” a statement posted on China’s Foreign Ministry website Saturday evening said. “Useful strategic talks took place.” Said.

Among the topics discussed in the two-day talks was Taiwan, where elections were held this month.

Ahead of the vote, Chinese officials described newly elected President Lai Ching-te as a dangerous separatist who would lead Taiwan down a “bad path” to independence.

But Washington congratulated Lai, with Beijing saying it “strongly condemns” the statement.

During the latest talks, Wang stressed that Taiwan is “China’s internal matter and regional elections in Taiwan cannot change the basic reality that Taiwan is part of China,” according to Saturday’s statement.

It said, “The biggest threat to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is the so-called ‘Taiwan independence’ movement. The biggest challenge to China-US relations is also the ‘Taiwan independence’ movement.”

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)