In the first high-level talks between the Biden administration and China, the United States accused China of ‘grandstanding’, while the Beijing representatives accused the Americans of ‘condescension’. The Chinese arrived at Anchorage, Alaska in the wake of the US announcing it would update sanctions on China over rollbacks of democracy in Hong Kong, and other strong actions such as revoking Chinese telecoms licences.
During the meeting, the United States expressed concerns about Beijing’s violations of human rights both domestically and regionally. However, these concerns were countered by Chinese representatives, who cited America’s own ‘deep-seated’ human rights issues, as exemplified by the Black Lives Matter movement.
The US claimed that China’s actions - such as economic coercion of American allies - ‘threaten...global stability’ Meanwhile, Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi argued that ‘it is important for the United States to change its own image and to stop advancing its own democracy in the rest of the world.’ He added that the Biden administration should focus on domestic issues, rather than making ‘unwarranted accusations’ against China.
Written by Sufia Jafri
Artwork by Zara Masood
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