US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi launched a meeting Monday, exchanging heated remarks about the deterioration of bilateral relations.
While welcoming the usual diplomatic greetings and emphasizing the need for cooperation between their countries, their statements to journalists at the beginning of their meeting at Diaoyutai Guest House were unusually sharp.
"Finally, as the US side has been steadily escalating the trade dispute with China, it has also adopted a series of measures on the Taiwan file to the detriment of China's rights, as well as unfounded criticism of its policies," Wang, also a State Councilor, said during a meeting with Pompeo. China domestic and foreign.
"We believe this is a direct attack on mutual trust, cast a shadow over Sino-US relations, and we call on the US side to stop this kind of wrongdoing," Wang said.
"We have substantial differences over the files that I mentioned, and we have deep concerns about the actions China has taken, and I look forward to the opportunity to discuss each one, because this is a very important relationship," Pompeo told Wang.
A senior State Department official said the United States still expects cooperation with Beijing on North Korea's nuclear disarmament efforts. (China is Pyongyang's main ally).
Pompeo and Wang have publicly disagreed with Wang on the side responsible for the cancellation of a bilateral security dialogue, scheduled to be held in Beijing this month.
Last week, US Vice President Mike Pence stepped up pressure on Beijing to go beyond the trade war and accused China of "malicious" efforts to undermine President Trump's support ahead of midterm congressional elections next month and to commit what he called reckless military actions In the South China Sea ».