The US Under Secretary of State met with her Chinese counterpart and complained about hacks, human rights violations and the advance on Hong Kong.

US Under Secretary of State Wendy Sherman has been “very energetic” on issues such as cyberattacks and Chinese repression in Hong Kong, in candid but “professional” talks with officials of Xi Jinping’s regime Xi Jinping’s regime officials reported on Monday. diplomacy.

“The Undersecretary was very forceful in making the Chinese understand the factual information we had to support what we were talking about, whether it was human rights or violations of promises made by China, such as Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy.“said US officials.

Sherman also expressed his concern over China’s reluctance to cooperate with the World Health Organization in a second phase of investigation into the origins of COVID-19. “The Undersecretary has expressed concern privately, as we have done in public, about a series of actions by the People’s Republic of China that run counter to our values ​​and interests and those of our allies and partners, and who undermine the rules-based international order, ”the State Department said in a statement.

In addition, he referred to the cases of Americans and Canadians detained in China.

Previously, the report of China urged Washington to stop “demonizing” it and to consider him as an “imaginary enemy”, during the meeting between high representatives in the city of Tianjin, in the northeast of the Asian giant.

Although some analysts have argued that not much should be expected from this meeting – the first between senior representatives from Beijing and Washington on Chinese soil since April – statements released by the two foreign ministries did not give no clear indications on a possible reconciliation of positions.

“There are things which go beyond specific differences and which are the overall responsibility of the great powers.Sherman commented in an interview with PA shortly after finishing his meetings with Chinese diplomats.

Two days before Sherman’s arrival in Tianjin, China announced sanctions against six US citizens and one institution in response to those issued on July 16 by Washington against seven Chinese officials for “undermining the autonomy” of Hong Kong. This dynamic, according to Chinese analysts quoted on Monday by the state newspaper World timeThis could become “the new normal” when it comes to interacting with Washington.

Sherman is due to return to the United States on that day with no news that he will finally meet with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, as had been speculated.

The visit to Tianjin is part of the Asian tour that the “number two” in American diplomacy has made in recent days, during which he visited Japan, South Korea and Mongolia.

Relations between Beijing and Washington began to deteriorate in 2018, when former President Donald Trump started a trade war with China that then spread to areas such as technology and diplomacy, among others. After Joe Biden arrived at the White House in January, the two countries attempted to reorient their relations, although Washington has for the moment continued the policy of sanctions and veto on Chinese companies initiated by Trump.

(With information from AFP and EFE)

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