Top US, Chinese diplomats meet on ASEAN summit sidelines

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held talks with China's top diplomat, Wang Yi, in Jakarta on Thursday, which were described by his department as "candid and constructive."

"The meeting was part of ongoing efforts to maintain open channels of communication to clarify US interests across a wide range of issues and to responsibly manage competition by reducing the risk of misperception and miscalculation," department spokesperson Matthew Miller said.

Blinken also emphasized the importance of "maintaining peace and stability" across the Taiwan Strait, Miller said.

Blinken is visiting Jakarta amid a meeting of ASEAN member state foreign ministers. Wang Yi is attending for China after Beijing said Foreign Minister Qin Gang could not be present for health reasons. 

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was in the Indonesian capital on Thursday, where he also held talks with Wang. 

China is ready to work with Russia to support the centrality of ASEAN and to be vigilant against interference by external forces, Wang was quoted as saying by the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Beijing and Moscow look to deepen ties

Wang said on Thursday that Beijing would bolster ties with Moscow in areas of strategic communications  and coordination.

"The two sides should... strengthen strategic communication and coordination," the Chinese foreign ministry quoted Wang as saying in a statement.

"China and Russia firmly support each other in safeguarding legitimate interests, adhere to the path of harmonious coexistence and win-win development," Wang said.

China's government has claimed neutrality in Russia's war in Ukraine but its refusal to condemn the invasion has led to criticism that Beijing is favoring Moscow.

Recent flurry of US-Chinese outreach, as well as mutual critique

In recent weeks, the US and China have arranged several sets of relatively high-level talks amid a period of frosty relations. 

Blinken met Qin and Wang, as well as President Xi Jinping, in Beijing last month, in the first visit to China by a US secretary of state in five years.

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen also visited last week and climate envoy John Kerry is expected there next week. 

Proposed talks between Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his Chinese counterpart, Li Shangfu, did not materialize at last month's Shangri-La Dialogue, however.

Li, a military general, currently faces US sanctions, which Beijing has repeatedly criticized.

Also on Wednesday, China's ambassador made a rare visit to the Pentagon for talks with the top US defense official for Asia, the Pentagon and China's Embassy in Washington said.

This followed China complaining that the US had been reluctant to engage in military communications, with Austin having made similar comments in reverse after his talks with Li did not take place. 

NATO summit criticized Beijing's 'ambitions and coercive policies' 

Blinken is in Asia as US President Joe Biden visits Europe for the NATO leaders summit, which wrapped up in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Wednesday, and continues to Finland on Thursday. 

The summit communique from NATO expressed concerns about "the deepening strategic partnership" between Russia and China, and said that Beijing challenged the interests and security of the bloc. 

China had responded critically to this, also saying it rejected any NATO attempts to expand into the Asia-Pacific region. The leaders of NATO non-members Japan and South Korea both attended the Vilnius summit. 

Beijing's military was active in waters off Taiwan during the summit. 

US company Microsoft also said on Wednesday that a Chinese group had hacked government email accounts. 

Meanwhile, the German government released a strategy document on its approach to ties with China later on Thursday. 

msh/sdi (AFP, Reuters)