Indonesia – Reuters

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said on Saturday he discussed the Ukraine crisis with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi during talks that lasted more than five hours, during which he expressed Washington’s concerns about Beijing’s alignment with Moscow.

The two ministers have openly described their first talks since last October. The meeting came a day after the two ministers attended the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Summit in Bali, Indonesia.

“I reiterated to the Chinese foreign minister that we are concerned about the People’s Republic of China standing with Russia,” Blinken told a press conference after the talks.

He also said he did not believe China would act neutrally at a time when it supported Russia at the United Nations and echoed Russian propaganda.

“Chinese President Xi Jinping made it clear in a phone call with President Vladimir Putin on June 13 that he supports the decision to establish a partnership with Russia,” Blinken added.

For its part, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement, “Wang exchanged views on the Ukraine issue during the talks held on Saturday.”

The Chinese minister also told Blinken that there was a risk that relations between the two countries would further deviate from their course because of the flaw in America’s view of China.

“Many people think that the United States is facing a dangerous and growing Sinophobia,” Wang was quoted as saying.

“Washington must immediately repeal the additional tariffs imposed by Beijing and stop imposing unilateral sanctions on Chinese companies,” he said.

The US describes China as its main strategic rival and says it fears that one day it will try to take over the self-governing island of Taiwan.

Despite their rivalry, the two countries, the world’s two largest economies, are still important trading partners.

President Biden is considering removing tariffs on Chinese goods to curb rising inflation in the US ahead of November congressional elections, in which he is focused on Democratic majorities in the House and Senate.