China foreign minister tells Blinken US should respect China's core concerns

Qin said he hoped the US can manage differences, and promote communication and cooperation

BEIJING (Reuters) – China's Foreign Minister Qin Gang told US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a phone call on Wednesday that the US should stop interfering in the country's affairs, according to a statement from the Chinese foreign ministry.

The high-profile discussion comes ahead of a reported planned visit to Beijing by Washington's top dipolmat, aimed at stabilising tense relations between the countries around several issues from spy allegations to a semiconductor tussle.

In the call, Qin said he hoped the US can meet China half-way, effectively manage differences, and promote communication and cooperation.

Qin also said the US should respect China's core concerns such as the Taiwan issue. He also hoped to stabilise Sino-US relations and bring ties back to the track of sound and steady development.

The Chinese foreign ministry has yet to reveal information on Blinken's trip, but a US official last Friday said Blinken would be in Beijing on June 18, giving no other details.

In February, Blinken cancelled a planned trip to Beijing, which would have been the first by a US secretary of state in five years, over a suspected Chinese spy balloon that flew over the United States.