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Blinken, Wang Yi Meet in Munich, Discuss Taiwan, Ukraine

US has been doubling down on its drive to “responsibly” manage strategic competition with China through improved bilateral communication and other measures

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi discussed a range of regional and global issues, including the Korean Peninsula, Taiwan and Russia’s war in Ukraine during their talks in Germany on Friday, a US State Department spokesperson said.

They met on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on Friday as Washington has been doubling down on its drive to “responsibly” manage strategic competition with China through improved bilateral communication and other measures, Yonhap news agency reported.

“The two sides also exchanged views on the situation in the Middle East and on the Korean Peninsula and affirmed that their respective senior officials should meet to follow up on these discussions,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a readout.

Miller did not elaborate on the Korea-related topic, but the two sides were expected to touch on North Korea’s evolving military threats.

Blinken emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and in the South China Sea, while raising concerns over China’s support for Russia’s war against Ukraine, including support for Russia’s defence industrial base, according to Miller.

The secretary also highlighted the importance of continuing to implement the progress made by President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping at their summit in November in California, including counternarcotics cooperation and military-to-military communications.

“The secretary reiterated that the United States will stand up for our interests and values and those of our allies and partners,” Miller said.

Both sides recognized the importance of maintaining open lines of communication across a range of strategic issues, including consultations and high-level meetings in key areas in the coming months, according to the spokesperson.

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Ukraine crisis: Johnson urges unity from Western allies

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will travel to Germany today for discussions with European allies amid increasing concern about the likelihood of a further Russian invasion of Ukraine.

“There is still a chance to avoid unnecessary bloodshed, but it will require an overwhelming display of western solidarity beyond anything we have seen in recent history,” Johnson said ahead of his travel to Germany.

“Allies need to speak with one voice to stress to President Putin the high price he will pay for any further Russian invasion of Ukraine. Diplomacy can still prevail.”

“That is the message I will take to Munich today as we redouble our efforts to prevent a grave miscalculation which would devastate Ukraine, Russia and the rest of Europe,” Johnson added.

This week the build-up of forces has continued despite Russian claims to the contrary, with 7,000 more troops arriving on Ukraine’s border in recent days. The UK and other allies have warned that military action could take place at any moment and without warning.

Chairman of the Munich Security Conference Wolfgang Ischinger (R) talks with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres during the 58th Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, on Feb. 18, 2022. (Xinhua/Lu Yang/IANS)

At the Munich Security Conference PM Johnson will deliver a speech calling on allies to stay united in the face of Russian hostility. He will remind partners that, while there is still time to persuade President Putin to stand down Russian troops, the only prospect for this is if the western world speaks with one voice to dissuade and deter.

While in Munich, the Johnson will also meet a number of European partners to discuss the current response. In recent days the Prime Minister has spoken to the leaders of the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Japan, Australia and elsewhere about the ongoing crisis.

The Munich Security Conference is the world’s largest annual gathering of international leaders and foreign policy experts. When the Prime Minister addressed the conference last year he warned that countries like Russia who seek to act with ‘reckless abandon’ to harm our people must be met with the ‘immovable rock of trans-Atlantic solidarity’.

One year on, the Prime Minister will reiterate that message both in his speech to the conference and in meetings with world leaders.

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