US to Focus on Human Rights, Trade in March 18 Meeting With China

Secretary of State Antony Blinken will use his upcoming meeting with Chinese officials to outline U.S. concerns over China's alleged human rights abuses and unfair trade practices, Blinken told the House Foreign Affairs Committee Wednesday. The March 18 meeting in Anchorage, announced Wednesday, will include National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Chinese foreign affairs officials Yang Jiechi and Wang Yi. “This is an important opportunity for us to lay out in very frank terms the many concerns that we have with Beijing's actions and behavior that are challenging the security, prosperity and the values of the United States and our partners and allies,” Blinken told the committee. Blinken said he will discuss U.S. concerns over China's lack of a “level playing field” for American companies. He added there are no plans yet for future meetings. “This is not a strategic dialogue. There's no intent at this point for a series of follow-on engagements,” he said. ‘“Those engagements, if they are to follow, really have to be based on the proposition that we're seeing tangible progress and tangible outcomes on the issues of concern to us with China.”