Blinken meets Chinese and Japanese diplomats, seeks stability as Taiwan voters head to the polls

By DIDI TANG
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Antony Blinken has stressed the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait when meeting with a senior Chinese diplomat. The Biden administration is trying to mitigate tensions over Taiwan as the island holds its presidential election. Blinken sat down Friday with Liu Jianchao, the Chinese Communist Party’s international minister. Hours later, he met with Yoko Kamikawa, the foreign minister of Japan, one of the United States’ strongest allies in Asia. Liu’s meeting with Blinken was part of a U.S. trip that took the veteran Chinese diplomat to New York earlier this week, when he said Beijing is serious about the U.S. statements not to support Taiwan’s independence.