U.S. reiterates hope for cross-strait relations to remain peaceful
ROC Central News Agency
2016/01/22 14:08:35
Washington, Jan. 21 (CNA) U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said Thursday in Beijing that Washington has an abiding interest in continued peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
During a trip to China, Blinken met with Zhang Zhijun (張志軍), head of the Taiwan Affairs Office under China's State Council, and reiterated 'the United States' abiding interest in continued cross-strait peace and stability,' according to a statement issued by the U.S. Department of State Thursday.
Blinken's trip to Beijing followed a visit to Taiwan by Bill Burns, former U.S. deputy secretary of state, on Jan. 17, one day after Taiwan elected its next president and legislature.
Burns met with President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九); President-elect Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), chairwoman of the main opposition Democratic Progressive Party; and New Taipei Mayor Eric Chu (朱立倫), who resigned as chairman of the Kuomintang party after he lost in the presidential election.
Burns was sent to Taiwan to carry Washington's message of hope for continued peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.
While in Beijing, Blinken also met with Chinese officials for the second round of Interim Strategic Security Dialogue.
The talks were co-chaired by Blinken and Chinese Executive Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui, and the topics included issues of mutual interest, such as the response to North Korea's recent nuclear test and maritime issues, said the U.S. State Department.
The meeting was also attended by Abraham Denmark, deputy U.S. assistant secretary of defense for East Asia; Rear Adm. Li Ji, deputy chief of China's International Military Cooperation Office; and other senior defense and civilian officials from the two countries, according to the State Department.
'The dialogue is designed to enhance mutual understanding of strategic security issues and reiterate the importance of continued in-depth, sustained, and open communication, to further develop a stable and cooperative strategic security relationship between China and the United States,' it said in the statement.
Meanwhile, a state-run television network in China reported Wednesday that a live-fire drill had been conducted recently by the Chinese military off China's southeast coast.
In the report, the China Central Television (CCTV) said the 31st Group Army, a military formation of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) based in the southeastern city of Xiamen, had conducted a large-scale live-fire landing drill off Southeast China, but did not say when the drill was staged.
In response, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense said it knew China had held a 'routine military training in winter' but CCTV had used video footage of exercises that were conducted last year to give an 'exaggerated and false' report.
Blinken's visit to Beijing was part of an Asian trip Jan. 14-21 that also took him to Japan, Burma and South Korea, the State Department said.
(By Rita Cheng and Elaine Hou)
ENDITEM/pc
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
