China accused the United States of “wants to reignite the sense of national purpose by making China an ‘imaginary enemy’,” Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng said at the meeting with Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, state television reported. Sherman came to the eastern city of Tianjin for a meeting with Xie Feng and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Sunday, a day after Wang had warned that China would not allow the United States to take a superior position in the relationship.

Senior US officials had described Sherman’s expected position during the meeting, saying the United States greeted competition with Beijing but would request on a level playing field and guardrails to avoid conflicts. The US government have been openly disapproving of China’s policy in Hong Kong and Xinjiang, which is a bill to ban imports from the far western region, mentioning forced labour concerns.

• Vedanta Outlook for the Week (April 29, 2024 – May 03, 2024)
• Tata Steel Outlook for the Week (April 29, 2024 – May 03, 2024)
• PFC Outlook for the Week (April 29, 2024 – May 03, 2024)
• Piramal Enterprises Outlook for the Week (April 29, 2024 – May 03, 2024)
• MANAPPURAM Outlook for the Week (April 29, 2024 – May 03, 2024)

At the meeting in Alaska, Chinese officials protested against US democracy, while US officials blamed China for grandstanding during the session. Ties have continued to worsen since, with measures such as tit-for-tat sanctions and diplomatic points having dominated in the Tianjin talks. Sherman will continue the discussions on Monday before travelling to Geneva to head a US commission at negotiations with Russia over nuclear arms control.