Blinken discusses Russian war on Ukraine with China’s vice president

Secretary of State Antony Blinken met on Monday with PRC Vice President Han Zheng on the margins of the 78th UN General Assembly in New York City, discussing a range of issues including the war Russia is waging against Ukraine.

That’s according to the Department of State’s press service, Ukrinform reports.

“The two sides had a candid and constructive discussion, building on recent high-level engagements between the two countries to maintain open lines of communication and responsibly manage the U.S.-China relationship,” the report reads.

Blinken emphasized that the United States will continue to use diplomacy to advance U.S. interests and values and to discuss areas of difference.  The secretary of state also explored potential areas of cooperation and advocated for progress on shared transnational challenges. 

“The two sides exchanged views on a range of key bilateral, global, and regional issues, including Russia’s war against Ukraine, the DPRK’s provocative actions, and other topics.  The Secretary underscored the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,” reads the report.

Both sides reiterated their commitment to maintaining open lines of communication, including follow-on senior engagements in the coming weeks.

According to the Chinese Vice President, China-U.S. relations are currently facing many difficulties and challenges, and the Chinese side hopes to work together with the United States to reduce tensions.

"The world needs a stable and healthy China-U.S. relationship," the vice president said.

The talks came as a continuation of President Joe Biden's administration's efforts to normalize U.S.-China relations and ensure communication between key U.S. and Chinese agencies. To that end, Blinken, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, and Biden's climate envoy John Kerry visited Beijing over the summer.