China’s foreign minister airs concerns in phone call with Blinken ahead of planned visit

By SIMINA MISTREANU
Associated Press

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang have shared concerns on a phone call ahead of a possible visit by the U.S. official to China meant to shore up relations. Blinken’s official Twitter account said the two “discussed ongoing efforts to maintain open channels of communication as well as bilateral and global issues.” The Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement that Qin urged the United States to respect China’s core concerns. It said Qin asked the U.S. to “stop interfering in China’s internal affairs, and stop harming China’s sovereignty, security and development interests in the name of competition.”