In a meeting between senior US and Chinese diplomatic officials, the Chinese side accused the US of seeing China as a "hypothetical enemy" and called for a change in its policy toward China.
The meeting was held in Tianjin, China on the 26th, and was attended by Deputy Secretary of State Sherman, the number two diplomatic authority from the United States, and Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Xie Feng, who is in charge of the United States from the Chinese side.
According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Mr. Xie accused "the root cause of the stalemate in bilateral relations and facing serious difficulties is that the United States considers China a'hypothetical enemy'."
He then said, "I urge you to revise the current extremely wrong way of thinking and dangerous policy toward China," and urged the United States to change its policy toward China.
The reaction from the US side has not been clarified, but Deputy Secretary Sherman posted on Twitter on the night of the 25th, "The Biden administration wants an environment where American companies can compete fairly in China," the South China Sea and human rights. It seems that he is taking a strict stance over problems.
Deputy Secretary Sherman will also meet with Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the 26th.
It is the first time that high-ranking diplomatic officials have visited China since the inauguration of the Biden administration, and it seems that there are severe exchanges at the talks, and it is unclear whether it will show a way to break the cold relationship.