China's Wang Yi says direction of U.S.-China ties in danger of going 'astray'

[July 09, 2022]  BEIJING (Reuters) - China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his U.S. counterpart Antony Blinken on Saturday that the direction of U.S.-China relations was in danger of being further led "astray" due to a problem with the United States' perception of China.  

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (not pictured) meets Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during a meeting in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia July 9, 2022. Stefani Reynolds/Pool via REUTERS

"Many people believe that the United States is suffering from an increasingly serious bout of 'Chinaphobia'," Wang was quoted as saying in a statement released by his ministry, following his meeting with Blinken on the sidelines of a G20 gathering in Bali, Indonesia.

Wang also said the United States should cancel additional tariffs imposed on China as soon as possible and cease unilateral sanctions on Chinese companies, in an exchange that the statement characterised as "in-depth" and "candid".

Additionally, the U.S. side must be cautious in its words and deeds when it comes to Taiwan and must not send any wrong signals to "Taiwan independence" forces, Wang said.

According to the statement, the two sides also exchanged in-depth views on "the Ukraine issue", without giving details.

(Reporting by Ryan Woo; Editing by Alison Williams)

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