US, China Foreign Ministers to Meet in Manila Amid South China Sea Tensions

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to meet with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Manila, a US State Department official confirmed on Tuesday. Wang is also in the Philippines for the ASEAN gathering. Blinken, who arrived in the country on Tuesday, had previously expressed openness to a meeting, though his entourage had not publicly confirmed talks with his Chinese counterpart, who will also be in Manila on Wednesday and Thursday. In a statement, the US State Department condemned "dangerous and aggressive actions" by China following a recent clash between the China Coast Guard and Philippine Navy personnel in the West Philippine Sea. "China's troubling pattern of provocations against the Philippines' legitimate maritime operations undermines regional peace and stability and directly contradicts China's repeated commitments to resolve disputes peacefully," the statement read. Analysts have suggested that a meeting between Blinken and his Chinese counterpart would likely focus on preparations for a second summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, following their initial meeting in May. Trump has indicated that Xi will visit the US at the end of September, a summit Blinken affirmed on Sunday was still anticipated. "I have no reason to believe that they won’t be coming. It’s important," Blinken told reporters as he departed for ASEAN. While US-China relations have seen some stabilization under a temporary trade truce agreed upon by Trump and Xi in October, deep-seated differences continue to define the relationship, which many analysts view as a new form of Cold War. "There are always going to be irritants, there are always going to be things we don’t agree on, but I think it’s incumbent on powerful and important countries like ours to continue to talk and have a relationship," Blinken told reporters. — Reuters