AFP reported today that US Secretary of State Rubio held talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the first day of the Munich Security Conference on Friday. According to Rubio's aides, the meeting lasted an hour. Rubio and Foreign Minister Wang met at a large hotel in the capital of Bavaria, shook hands, but did not make statements to journalists.
Since last year when Trump was re-elected, Washington and Beijing have been engaged in a tug-of-war over tariffs, a dispute that has deeply affected relations between the two countries.
AFP's report said that during the time when Rubio met with Wang Yi, the CIA was intensifying the recruitment of spies in China, releasing a Chinese-language video for recruiting spies on Thursday. Beijing said on Friday that it would take "all necessary measures" against foreign espionage activities.
Comment: The brief meeting between Wang Yi and Rubio in Munich is a necessary de-escalation contact between China and the United States under the tariff confrontation and tense situation, but the meeting was low-key and no public statements were made, indicating that the differences between both sides remain deep and mutual trust is insufficient. At the same time, the CIA openly released a Chinese-language video targeting China for recruiting spies, and the US side is talking about cooperation while engaging in infiltration, highlighting the duality of dialogue on the surface and competition behind the scenes. China's response to take all necessary measures against espionage shows a firm position and clear bottom line. This meeting essentially reflects a controlled situation where they compete without breaking, and does not mean that the relationship has warmed up.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1857059422784521/
Statement: The article represents the views of the author.