18-2-2024 (BEIJING) China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi raised the issue of lifting sanctions against Chinese companies and individuals during a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the Munich Security Conference, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry on February 17.
The ministry stated that both sides also discussed the facilitation of people-to-people exchanges in the meeting held on February 16. It described the exchanges between the two officials as “frank, substantial, and constructive.”
Mr. Wang emphasized that the United States would only harm itself by pursuing a policy of “de-risking” that effectively targets China and seeks to decouple from Chinese influence. The Foreign Ministry’s statement quoted Wang as saying, “Making ‘de-risking’ into ‘de-China,’ and building ‘small yards and high walls’ and seeking ‘decoupling from China’ will only backfire on the United States itself.”
The statement also mentioned that both sides exchanged views on regional issues, including the Ukraine crisis and the Korean peninsula. However, no further details were provided. It added that envoys from China and the US regarding the Korean peninsula will “stay in touch.”
Since Chinese President Xi Jinping’s talks with President Joe Biden in November 2023, China and the US have made some progress in bilateral relations. During their meeting, they reached agreements on fentanyl, military communications, and artificial intelligence on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.
In late January, China and the US held their first joint meeting of a working group on fentanyl precursor chemicals in Beijing, aiming to address the issue of illicit drug production. Additionally, China’s financial officials hosted US Treasury officials earlier in February, indicating ongoing efforts to enhance financial cooperation between the two countries.
