United States State Secretary Antony J Blinken had a telephonic conversation with his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi during which he conveyed that Washington will continue to stand up for human rights and democratic values, including in Xinjiang, Tibet, and Hong Kong, and will hold Beijing accountable for its abuses of the international system.
Blinken also pressed China to condemn the military coup in Myanmar,
"In my call with my counterpart in Beijing, Yang Jiechi, I made clear the U.S. will defend our national interests, stand up for our democratic values, and hold Beijing accountable for its abuses of the international system," Blinken tweeted.
According to a statement by State Department on Friday (local time), Blinken reaffirmed that the United States will work together with its allies and partners in defense of our shared values and interests to hold the PRC accountable for its efforts to threaten stability in the Indo-Pacific, including across the Taiwan Strait, and its undermining of the rules-based international system.
"Secretary Blinken stressed the United States will continue to stand up for human rights and democratic values, including in Xinjiang, Tibet, and Hong Kong, and pressed China to join the international community in condemning the military coup in Burma," the statement read.
The relations between the US and China have deteriorated sharply over the last year in wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, China's efforts to curtail Hong Kong's autonomy, and the US-China trade war.
A few days back, Chinese top diplomat Yang warned the US not to cross a "red line," saying issues --such as human rights, the coronavirus response, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Tibet, and Xinjiang---concern China's core interests, national dignity, as well as the sensitivities of its 1.4 billion people.
( With inputs from ANI )
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