Beijing warns Washington not to cross China’s ‘Red Lines’ on Taiwan

In a meeting with his American counterpart, the Chinese Foreign Minister labeled sovereignty, security, and development as China’s red lines and indeed Washington not to cross them.

“The Taiwan issue is the first insurmountable red line in Sino-US relations,” said Foreign Minister Wang Yi after a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Wang Yi cautioned, “Should China and the United States move steadily forward or descend into a downhill spiral?” He noted that the severe tensions between the two nations over the past year have somewhat subsided, and relations are stabilizing, but he mentioned negative factors that could threaten the stability between the two countries.

While Wang Yi did not elaborate on the nature of these negative factors, they likely include issues such as trade, human rights concerns, Taiwan, and military activities in the South China Sea. He warned that countries could be drawn into cooperation or confrontation and even “slip towards conflict.”

Antony Blinken, making his second visit to China in less than a year, took a more cautious tone, emphasizing both countries’ commitment to active diplomacy in advancing relations. He stated that he would address the two countries’ differences directly and explicitly to prevent miscalculations.

While this meeting is part of a significant increase in dialogue and diplomacy between Washington and Beijing, tensions between the two countries remain high due to various issues, including the war in Ukraine, Taiwan, and trade.