SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you. I think I can officially say good afternoon,
everyone. Yes, 12:02, so good afternoon. (Laughter.) FOREIGN MINISTER BALAKRISHNAN: I don’t have
my watch. (Laughter.) Take it on faith. SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well, we’re on – as
always, on the same time. FOREIGN MINISTER BALAKRISHNAN: On the same
time, always. (Laughter.) SECRETARY BLINKEN: So Vivian, Foreign Minister,
it’s wonderful to have you here at the State Department. We have actually worked closely together since
th
e last time I was in government, and I value the conversations we’ve had over many years. And one of the things that I can say very
clearly is that every time I have an opportunity to spend time with the foreign minister I
learn something, and I am grateful for that. Singapore is for the United States a true
partner. And having the opportunity today to discuss
so many issues that bring us together regionally – bilaterally in the first instance, regionally,
but also globally was very, very benefi
cial. But if I could, Vivian, let me just begin
with a few words about my upcoming visit to the People’s Republic of China since we’re
leaving tonight on that trip. We look forward to having a series of meetings
with senior officials in Beijing, building on the engagements that we’ve had with the
PRC since President Biden and President Xi met in Bali late last year. And to summarize it, the trip has three objectives. First, to establish open and empowered communications
so that our two countries
responsibly manage our relationship, including by discussing
challenges, by addressing misperceptions, and avoiding miscalculations. Second, to advance U.S. interests and values
and those we share with allies and partners around the world, including speaking directly
and candidly about our very real concerns on a range of issues. And third, to explore the potential for cooperation
on transnational challenges – global economic stability, illicit synthetic drugs, climate,
global health – where ou
r countries’ interests intersect and the rest of the world expects
us to cooperate. Intense competition requires sustained diplomacy
to ensure that competition does not veer into confrontation or conflict. And again, that is what the world expects
of both the United States and China. Now, our friends in Singapore and Southeast
Asia more broadly are essential to realizing what is a shared vision for a free and open,
a prosperous, a secure, connected, a resilient Indo-Pacific, where people, where
goods, where
ideas can travel freely, where rules are applied fairly and transparently. And indeed, for six decades now the Strategic
Partnership between the United States and Singapore, rooted in respect for the rules-based
international order, has helped strengthen peace and stability in the region and around
the world. I reaffirmed to the foreign minister that
ASEAN is at the heart of our Indo-Pacific Strategy. The United States supports ASEAN’s centrality,
and we see a considerable convergen
ce between our own Indo-Pacific Strategy and ASEAN’s
Outlook on the Indo-Pacific, epitomized by a shared belief in inclusive economic growth,
transparency, and the rule of law. Vivian and I discussed Russian and the ongoing
war of aggression against Ukraine. Singapore has consistently stood up
in enacting sanctions that are taking a toll on Russia’s war machine. And we’ll continue to support Ukraine as
we work toward a just and lasting peace, one based on the principles that I laid out recently
in Helsinki. Respect for human rights and self-determination
are also being challenged in Burma, where the military’s coup and the brutal crackdown
continues to harm civilians, to deprive them of their right to choose their own path, and
threatens regional stability. We appreciate Singapore and ASEAN’s critical
role in seeking a peaceful solution. The United States will continue to impose
strong sanctions against those perpetrating atrocities. We welcome Singapore’s partnership in maintaining
t
he necessary economic pressure. Our two countries are also seizing new opportunities
to work together from space and cyber to supply chain resiliency to clean energy. We spent some time talking about that. As part of the Green Shipping Challenge launched
at COP27 last year, Singapore recently announced an MOU with the Ports of Los Angeles and Long
Beach to upgrade digital infrastructure and to reduce emissions. We’re partnering to advance our clean energy
across ASEAN, including the ASEAN power
grid, which will facilitate renewable energy development
and deployment throughout the region and help Singapore transition to net-zero emissions
by 2050. And as part of our expanded U.S.-Singapore
climate change partnership, we’re announcing today new and enhanced areas of cooperation
from reducing deforestation to encouraging energy-efficient buildings. All this collaboration is rooted in one of
our strongest bilateral relationships in the Indo-Pacific. American companies – we talked about thi
s
as well – are the largest source of foreign direct investment in Singapore. We’re working to grow our economies even
faster and even fairer through the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, of which Singapore was
an early and enthusiastic supporter. Singapore is also a critical security partner,
hosting American ships and aircraft, sending pilots to train in the skies above Arizona
and Idaho. And for evidence of our robust people-to-people
ties, one need look only for example at Singapore’s cabinet
, where over half the ministers, including
Prime Minister Lee, have studied in the United States. President Yacob is also a distinguished alum
of the State Department’s International Visitors Leadership Program, proving that
we have a pretty good eye for talent. (Laughter.) Recently, the Prime Minister urged the people
of Singapore, and I quote, “To think boldly, to aim high, to seek far.” Those are wise and powerful words, and I look
forward to that spirit continuing to guide the close partners
hip between Singapore and
the United States. Vivian. FOREIGN MINISTER BALAKRISHNAN: Thank you,
Tony. It’s always special to meet you here. I think we’ve been meeting regularly for
about seven years, including in different incarnations. SECRETARY BLINKEN: That’s right. FOREIGN MINISTER BALAKRISHNAN: But – and
so I will confess to being biased, but I think the United States is very blessed to have
the ultimate, consummate diplomat in you, and more so at these very testing, trying,
and challenging
times. So it’s an honor to be here, and thank you
for the opportunity to discuss a wide range of issues just now. We first reaffirmed the excellent, longstanding,
close, stable relationship between the United States and Singapore, and I should add our
shared commitment to a rules-based international order, and the fact that it was the United
States seven, eight decades ago which in fact envisioned, underwrote, and supported this
rules-based international order. And even now as we go through chal
lenging
times, I think we need to reaffirm the importance of such a system. We also covered a range of bilateral, regional,
and global issues. I think on the bilateral front everyone knows
that we’ve got a very robust, economic relationship. And of course, we are in that special category
which is defined as a major security cooperation partner of the United States. But we haven’t stood still. We’re also expanding into new frontiers. You’ve just mentioned the updated United
States-Singapore Clima
te Partnership, and this will focus on collaboration in five areas,
including regional energy transition in Southeast Asia and also low and zero emission solutions. So watch this space. There’s a lot happening. We are also working in other areas like cybersecurity,
all the more pertinent now with the challenges that we are facing. And also we – we also signed the Artemis
Accords last year, so that’s another whole new frontier for collaboration. I mentioned just now that in fact for 33 years
we’v
e had the Memorandum of Understanding regarding the United States use of our facilities,
both naval and aviation. Again, that has been a symbol of our belief
that the United States strategic presence and contribution to our part of the world
has provided stability, has provided opportunity, and helped to underwrite the peace which we
should never take for granted. Singapore is home today to over 5,700 United
States companies, and I also made the point that the United States investments in Singap
ore
exceed what the United States has invested in Japan, China, and ROK combined. If you consider how small Singapore is, that
statistic becomes all the more remarkable. On the other side of that same equation, Singapore’s
investments into the United States and U.S. exports to Singapore in fact support more
than 2,000 – 250,000 jobs in America itself. So I know it’s not just about trade for
its own sake but also in terms of jobs and opportunities for people on both sides. I also wanted to commen
d the very active regional
engagement under President Biden’s administration and with your shepherding the efforts in our
part of the world. The fact that President Biden attended the
ASEAN Summit in Phnom Penh last year and the President also hosted the ASEAN-U.S. Special
Summit in Washington in May last year, that sent a very strong signal of engagement. And we also elevated the ASEAN-U.S. relations
to a comprehensive Strategic Partnership last year; and it’s not just a formal words but
the re
al substance, the real deal. We also look forward to working with you – and
you mentioned it just now – to align the U.S. Indo-Pacific Strategy with the ASEAN
Outlook on the Indo-Pacific. And we hope that there will be further discussions,
hopefully when the President and you can visit our part of the world for the ASEAN meetings,
the EAS Summit, the ASEAN-U.S. Summit as well, either here or in our part of the world in
the near future. So I think the point is we do want to reaffirm
the importanc
e, the critical importance, of the U.S. anchoring your strategic engagement
in our part of the world. And I made the point that there is in fact
a deep reservoir of goodwill and trust, and you have many partners in the Asia Pacific. Maybe others may not be as explicit as we
are in saying how welcome you are, but I give you the assurance that everyone wants to see
you engaged in our part of the world. The IPEF, which we also discussed, is another
strong reaffirmation of the U.S. commitment to the
economic agenda in Southeast Asia and
– no, in fact the Asia Pacific. We welcome the substantial conclusion of the
negotiations on the second pillar of the IPEF, and this focuses on supply chains. And we hope that the remaining pillars of
the IPEF will include meaningful provisions that will lead to concrete benefits and even
greater regional integration. Finally, I know you’ve got a big visit coming
up; I believe you’re leaving tonight. And I wanted to say that we commend your efforts. This is
a very important and critical moment,
not just for the United States and China but, indeed, the rest of the world will be watching. So we hope and believe that you will be able
to manage the differences, but more important, establish open channels of communication,
build mutual trust and understanding, and I wish you smooth sailing and a successful
visit ahead. So thank you again for hosting me. Thank you for this chance to, as always, have
very open, candid, sincere discussions, and I wish you
all the very best. SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you. FOREIGN MINISTER BALAKRISHNAN: Thank you. MR MILLER: We’ll take four questions. First one goes to Simon Lewis with Reuters. QUESTION: Thank you. First, to the foreign minister, Dr. Balakrishnan,
the Secretary mentioned that Myanmar came up in your discussions. I wondered if I could ask you for Singapore’s
position on an initiative by the caretaker government in Thailand to re-engage with Myanmar’s
military junta and reportedly inviting the junta
back into ASEAN meetings. Is that something that Singapore would support? And I’d also be interested in your response
to the recent report by the UN special rapporteur on Myanmar, on human rights in Myanmar, who
identified $254 million worth of goods that have come through Singaporean entities to
the Myanmar military. So interested in your response to that. And for the Secretary, I would also be interested
in your view on whether ASEAN nations, including Singapore – also Thailand – should be
doi
ng more to stop the violence in Myanmar. And then specifically on Thailand, I wondered
if we could get your view on efforts to form a new government there. Are you concerned about the Thai military
trying to cling onto power despite the clear – pretty clear results of the election? And just an additional one because it’s
breaking news. President Putin has said that tactical nuclear
weapons have been deployed to Belarus. Secretary, what’s the U.S. response to that,
and are there consequences for
Russia and Belarus? Thank you. FOREIGN MINISTER BALAKRISHNAN: Well, thank
you. I think I counted at least three questions. (Laughter.) Let me get back to first principles. We condemn the coup in Myanmar and the ongoing
violence against civilians, the instability in the country, the setback to national reconciliation,
and the enormous impact on the economy. Unfortunately, it’s now more than two years. We haven’t seen any signs of improvement. From an ASEAN perspective, we have the Five-Point
Cons
ensus, and we haven’t seen any significant progress in fulfilling the Five-Point Consensus. So we believe it would be premature to re-engage
with the junta at a summit level or even at a foreign minister level and, in fact, our
leaders at the recent ASEAN summit reaffirmed this position. Having said that, the ASEAN chair, Indonesia,
is engaging across a wide spectrum of stakeholders, and the key point is this. You do need everyone ultimately to sit down
and negotiate. I don’t know how long it wi
ll take. The last time, it took 25 years for some form
of democratic transition to occur in Myanmar; I hope it won’t take that long. But it’s very important for the rest of
us, whilst we are in favor of reconciliation, we’re in favor of more dialogue, we obviously
want to make sure that the level of violence goes down. And certainly from Singapore’s perspective,
our policy is that we should all do our best to make sure arms, or even dual-use items
which can be used to inflict harm and injury on
civilians, should be proscribed. I noted Tom Andrews’ report, and one line
in it is worth quoting. And he said that, “There are no indications
that the Government of Singapore has approved, or is involved in, the shipment of arms and
associated materials to the Myanmar military,” unquote. But more important, we’re also engaging
Tom Andrews, because any specific information which he has access to and which we can use
for investigations or, if need be, to prosecute companies or entities which are
breaching
our laws and our policies and arms and dual use – rest assured, we will get to the bottom
of it. But the bigger question is when will peace
come back – Tony, I’m afraid I remain pessimistic. SECRETARY BLINKEN: You can sign my name onto
every word of what the foreign minister just said, including, unfortunately, the pessimism
that he expressed at the end, which we share. But everything that the minister said I ascribe
to as well. We are very focused in supporting ASEAN efforts
to move f
orward toward a resolution that ends the violence, that frees people in jail, that
puts Burma back on a democratic path. The Five-Point Consensus that the junta signed
onto has not been, to say – to state the obvious, advanced, much less met. And it’s very important that we continue,
all of us, to sustain the appropriate pressure on the junta and look for ways, of course,
to engage the opposition in Burma and find every possible avenue to advance Burma’s
return to their democratic path, to an en
d to the violence, the freedom of people who’ve
been unjustly imprisoned. And in all of these efforts, we are working
– the United States and Singapore – very closely together, both through ASEAN but also
on a bilateral basis. With regard to Thailand, I’d simply say
that our full expectation is that the government will be formed pursuant to the laws of Thailand. That is our expectation. That’s the expectation of people in Thailand
as well. With regard to the reports about Belarus,
we’ve seen com
ments that were made in the last few hours. We’ll continue to monitor the situation
very closely and very carefully. We have no reason to adjust our own nuclear
posture. We don’t see any indications that Russia
is preparing to use a nuclear weapon. The President said again this week that we
remain committed to the defense of NATO – every inch of its territory – so that is our north
star and we’re very focused on that. I would just note that one of President Putin’s
claims for starting his brutal
invasion of Ukraine – one of the many rationales he
gave at various points – was, ostensibly, to prevent the threat of Ukraine reacquiring
the nuclear weapons that it gave up when the Soviet Union dissolved and Ukraine voluntarily
gave up the weapons it inherited, along with Belarus and Kazakhstan. So it would be rather ironic, among many other
things, for President Putin to now be talking about putting nuclear weapons on the territory
of a neighboring state – again, including a state that gave
up the nuclear weapons that
it inherited when the Soviet Union dissolved. And as for Belarus itself, this is just another
example of Lukashenka making irresponsible, provocative choices to cede control of Belarus’s
sovereignty against the will of the Belarusian people. MR MILLER: Next question goes to Nirmal Ghosh
with The Straits Times. QUESTION: Thank you. Thank you. Minister, you have spoken about the new frontiers
in the relationship with the United States. Could you elaborate a bit on that
? You mentioned the climate partnership, cyber
security, and so forth – a few more specifics, if you could share. And secondly, as has been mentioned, a lot
of the world is watching the Secretary’s forthcoming visit to China. I wonder if you could give us a Singapore
and/or Southeast Asian view of U.S.-China relations. And Mr. Secretary, if you could also speak
to that latter part about – again, about ASEAN centrality and how it all fits into
the Indo-Pacific Strategy with China. FOREIGN MINISTE
R BALAKRISHNAN: Well, thank
you, Nirmal. I used to be the minister of environment before
this incarnation, so I was heavily involved with the final negotiations for the Paris
Agreement. One observation which I will make is that
we would not have arrived at the agreement in Paris if it hadn’t been for the confluence
of strategic and environmental interests of the United States and China, and I can tell
you that from direct experience. And in a sense, that’s why tonight’s trip
is so important, bec
ause there are many global, planetary issues – climate, pandemics, even
cyber security – which require the United States and China to work off the same page
and be key pillars for a global system which will help increase resilience to threats to
welfare, health, and prosperity for people all over the world. So you go with our full support. But having said that, speaking now, as a diplomat,
I want to make this plea: Please don’t put too much weight on poor Tony’s shoulders. (Laughter.) The fact i
s diplomats need time and space
and sometimes just some quiet time to engage in some honest-to-goodness conversations without
having to put out a tweet every hour or two. The trip is essential, but not sufficient. There are fundamental differences in outlook,
in values. And it takes time for mutual respect and strategic
trust to be built in. So it’s important, but I’m also making
clear I hope people don’t have excessive expectations on that front. On your question about the new frontiers,
I alre
ady mentioned the climate partnership. And there are five focal areas under that
partnership, which include the regional energy transition; second, low- and zero-emission
technologies and solutions, the – nature-based solutions and carbon markets; and fifth, urban
decarbonization, resilience, and capacity-building. And even in all these areas, you can see that
there’s obvious opportunities for synergy and cooperation between the United States
and Singapore, not just for our own sake but in our r
egion as well. I mentioned the Artemis Accords, so outer
space is certainly another frontier. And of course we’ve been working very closely,
especially in the last couple of years, on cyber security, because that is a clear and
present frontier where there’s both risk and opportunity. So watch this space. Tony? SECRETARY BLINKEN: I’m, as always, tempted
to say, “What he said,” – (laughter) – because once again, I think the foreign
minister has captured it very, very well on all fronts. Look, wit
h regard to ASEAN, I simply want
to note and emphasize something I noted before. If you look at our own Indo-Pacific Strategy,
and you then look at the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific, the coincidence of these
approaches, these strategies, these visions is very, very strong, very, very high. And that speaks to why we do put a premium
on ASEAN centrality and why, as Vivian pointed out, starting with President Biden, we have
had significant engagement, re-engagement with ASEAN over the last two
and a half years. Economic growth – inclusive economic growth
– transparency, the rule of law, but also work on discrete issues and areas that have
a real impact on the lives of people in the region as well as in the United States, whether
it’s climate, whether it’s energy, whether it’s global health. All of these are front and center in what
we’re doing. And one of the things that we talked about
today is – we just spent some time talking about Burma. And of course that tends, in ASEAN meetings
and U.S.-ASEAN engagement, maybe that tends to get the headlines, and it’s hugely important. But if you look at the agenda that we’re
actually pursuing, both at the meetings that we have and then day-in, day-out, it’s a
very broad universe of issues, of subjects, all of which really go to the needs, the aspirations,
the hopes of people in the ASEAN region and in the United States. MR MILLER: Next question — FOREIGN MINISTER BALAKRISHNAN: So watch what
we do, not just what we say, and you’ll see
that there’s a full range of activities
for the United States and its engagement with ASEAN. MR MILLER: Next question goes to Jennifer
Hansler with CNN. QUESTION: Thank you. Mr. Secretary, on Iran, how would you characterize
the ongoing indirect talks with Tehran? Would you say that you’re optimistic that
an understanding can be reached between the two sides on constraining Iran’s growing
nuclear program? And then the Omani foreign minister said earlier
this week that he believes the two sides
are close on a deal for the detainees. Do you agree with that characterization? And then moving on to the China detainee issue,
are you committed to raising the case of Kai Li, Mark Swidan, and David Lin in your meetings
in Beijing? And more broadly, to both you, Mr. Secretary
and Mr. Foreign Minister, are you optimistic – given what you said about this not being
sufficient, are you optimistic that this will lead the way to continued meetings, continued
dialogues between the U.S. and China, incl
uding on the military-to-military front? Thank you. SECRETARY BLINKEN: Great. Thanks, Jennifer. With regard to Iran, some of the reports that
we’ve seen about an agreement on nuclear matters or, for that matter, on detainees
are simply not accurate and not true. On the nuclear side of the equation, we are
determined to ensure that Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon. We remain convinced that the best way to do
that is through diplomacy. We haven’t taken any option off the table. You’ve heard th
at clearly from the President. But we continue to believe that diplomacy
would be the most effective path forward, but there is no agreement, and reports to
the contrary or simply inaccurate. When it comes to our detained citizens in
Iran, nothing would please me more than to be able to say that we have an agreement that
secures their release. But that, too, would not be accurate. It’s something we continue to work on intensely
on a regular basis, and that’s separate and apart from any conversat
ions we have on
nuclear matters. But I’m not in a position to say that we
have an agreement. With regard to the visit, two things. One, yes, I will be raising the detainees. This has been an ongoing conversation with
the PRC and something that, for me, is always at the top of my list – that is, looking
out for the security and well-being of Americans around the world, including those who are
being detained in one way or another, including arbitrarily. More broadly, what we’re working to do on
th
is trip is to really carry forward what President Biden and President Xi agreed to
in Bali at the end of last year, which was to establish sustained, regular lines of communication
at senior levels across our governments precisely so that we can make sure that we are communicating
as clearly as possible to avoid, as best possible, misunderstandings and miscommunications. Because if we want to make sure, as we do,
that the competition that we have with China doesn’t veer into conflict, the place
you
start is with communicating. And so we’ll see what comes from this visit,
but this is directly in response to what the two presidents agreed in Bali last November. And as to what comes next, let’s see how
the visit goes. I think Vivian said it very well. This is an important but, in a sense, insufficient
step because there’s a lot of work to be done. I’d note as well that even as we’re trying
to make sure, through better communications, that the competition doesn’t veer into conflict,
we’re
also looking at areas where we might cooperate in the interests of the American
people, in the interests of China and its people, but also in the interests of people
around the world. One of the clear demand signals that that
we get, including from our close friends and partners, is that both the United States and
the PRC will responsibly manage this relationship and look for areas where our cooperation might
produce results that benefit not only our own people but people around the world, inclu
ding
in the region. So we’ll be looking at that as well. FOREIGN MINISTER BALAKRISHNAN: Well, the only
thing I can add there is perhaps a perspective from Southeast Asia. First, if you look 100 years down the road,
we see both China and the United States being a clear presence for the century and beyond. Second, we see the United States remaining
a Pacific partner and power and stakeholder. We don’t want you to go away. SECRETARY BLINKEN: And we’re not. (Laughter.) FOREIGN MINISTER BALAKRISHNAN:
Good. Third, if you look at the challenges confronting
the world right now – and we’ve enumerated climate, pandemics, cyber, opportunities in
outer space – now more than ever, we will need – even as the world transits into a
multipolar world, now more than ever, we need a rules-based multilateral system with institutions
and processes fit for purpose, updated where necessary. And again, this requires the United States
and China to achieve a modus vivendi. So this trip is important, it’s essenti
al,
but it doesn’t stop there. And I think Tony knows the views of all of
us in Southeast Asia: the more you travel and engage, the better. And as I said, I am biased because I – he’s
a friend, and I can think of no better diplomat at this point in time, in his cool, rational,
emollient way, to deal with some very fundamental differences. Because the two societies – and here we
speak from experience. China and the U.S. are not going to converge
and become one identical entity. And the challenge
for all of us, both mentally,
emotionally, and diplomatically, is to hold sometimes contrarian thoughts in one mind. And this is the challenge of the century. Fifty years ago when Henry Kissinger went
to Beijing, it completely reordered the strategic furniture in the globe. We are coming close to a point when this will
be necessary again. So we all watch with interest and concern
and some optimism – because as diplomats we all have to be optimistic, otherwise you
will not keep trying. So let’s s
upport these efforts and let’s
see where you – where you’ll take it. MR MILLER: For the final question, Benji Hyer
with Feature Story News. QUESTION: Thank you both. Here on behalf of Channel NewsAsia today,
CNA. We’ve heard Washington and Singapore’s
position on U.S.-China relations. I wanted to ask your perspective on ties between
Russia and China. How much is the – what they call the friendship
with no limits between Moscow and Beijing a concern for the U.S. Secretary of State
and foreign min
ister for the Indo-Pacific and ASEAN? SECRETARY BLINKEN: You’ve heard us speak
to this on a number of occasions in recent months, and it entirely depends on the practical
manifestations of that partnership or that friendship. I’ll let China and Russia address how they
view their partnership, but we’ve been very clear, for example, about the importance of
countries not providing Russia with the kind of assistance that it can use to advance its
aggression in Ukraine. Equally we’ve been open and we
lcoming of
efforts, initiatives of countries – including, for example, China – to try to play a positive
role in diplomacy that can advance a just and durable peace in Ukraine. As it happens right now, there are, I think,
representatives from six or seven African countries who are in Ukraine also trying to
advance that proposition. I would note the terrible irony of the fact
that while they’re in Kyiv, more missiles from Russian rain down on the Ukrainian capital,
but I’ll leave that to others t
o underscore that particular irony. But as with – again, as with many countries,
we want to ensure that no one is adding fuel to this fire Russia is making. And if countries by the same token can play
a positive, productive role, including China, in trying to find a path to a just and durable
peace, that’s something we welcome as well. FOREIGN MINISTER BALAKRISHNAN: Well, Singapore
is a tiny city-state. We’ve only been independent for almost 58
years, so I hope you understand from our perspectiv
e the UN Charter, international law, and the
precepts of sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity are sacrosanct for us. We have no other alternative. And therefore, for us this invasion is something
which we had to take a stand on, and we have. And we – that’s expressed in our votes
in the General Assembly and also in some specific sanctions that we have taken against Russia. And I – it’s something which we don’t
do routinely or lightly, but it’s an expression of how strongly we fee
l on this matter. I can’t speak for China, but I would say
that at least in their interactions with us – and also in their public statements – China
also has affirmed the importance of territorial integrity, independence, and sovereignty. And like Tony, I also hope that their efforts
will bear fruit. And we really have to pray for peace because
we know that at the end of the day you will end up at the negotiating table. But right now, blood is being shed and lives
are being lost for perhaps marg
inal leverage on the negotiating table. And as humanitarians, all of us must feel
the pain and the tragedy of this situation. And I think we all want peace. When it’ll be achieved, I don’t know. But we all want peace. MR MILLER: Thank you. SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you.
Comments