China Denounces US Provocations during Alaska Meeting

China charged on Friday that the provocations and groundless accusations by the United States have generated a dispute at the beginning of the talks in Anchorage, Alaska, and led its team to respond firmly.

During a press conference, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Zhao Lijian said that from the beginning, the parties were in an environment with a ‘strong smell of gunpowder and drama’ as a result of the initial statements by the US delegation.

According to the diplomat, the Chinese mission had no intention of falling into the controversy, but it was forced to react to the ‘irrational attacks’ on the country’s internal and external policies.

The spokesman also criticized the US participants for taking too much time to speak, which Beijing had earlier defined as neither ‘hospitable’ nor ‘good diplomatic etiquette’.

However, he reiterated that the meeting is a good opportunity to strengthen communication, iron out differences and expand cooperation between the two nations.

The meeting in Alaska went on a difficult start on Thursday with exchanges of criticism, reaffirmation of opposed positions and concerns over trade, technology and sensitive issues such as human rights, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Xinjiang and the Korean peninsula, among others.

The meeting will conclude in a few hours and there are low expectations that it will result in any joint agreement or communiqué.