US, Japan discuss Middle East, Taiwan stability

Blinken and Kamikawa discuss the ‘importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait as well as in the South China Sea

United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Japanese counterpart Yoko Kamikawa came together in Washington to deliberate on the events unfolding in the Middle East and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.

“Secretary Blinken and Foreign Minister Kamikawa discussed the situation in the Middle East, the two countries’ enduring support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait as well as in the South China Sea,” said a readout by U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller.

Blinken also met with Communist Party of China International Liaison Department Minister Liu Jianchao and had a “constructive discussion on a range of bilateral, regional, and global issues, including areas of potential cooperation and areas of difference,” another readout said.

“The Secretary emphasized the importance of resolving the cases of American citizens who are wrongfully detained or subject to exit bans in China and raised U.S. concerns about PRC (People’s Republic of China’s) human rights abuses,” it said.

The readout said: “The Secretary noted the importance of upholding and defending navigational rights and freedoms in the Red Sea and avoiding further escalation.”

Source: Anadolu Agency