Talks on the sidelines of the Affiliation of Southeast Asian Nations International Ministers’ Assembly (ASEAN) lasted an hour and 20 minutes, a senior State Division official mentioned.
The official mentioned Blinken raised “U.S. issues about latest provocative actions by China, together with a mock blockade throughout the inauguration of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te.”
“That they had a protracted dialog in regards to the Taiwan challenge,” the official mentioned.
China claims Taiwan as a part of its territory and has vowed to carry the democratic island below its rule, by power if mandatory. The train came about after Lai delivered his inauguration speech, which China denounced for “recognizing independence”.
Blinken additionally raised human rights points in Taiwan, Tibet and Hong Kong, in addition to China’s help for Russia because it launches a struggle in Ukraine, the official mentioned.
Blinken additionally “raised the problem of wrongful detention in China and the necessity for progress on that entrance,” the official mentioned.