Blinken meets Chinese counterpart, raises concerns over rights situation in Xinjiang, Hong Kong

Rome [Italy], October 31 (ANI): The United States on Sunday expressed concerns over a range of actions taken by China that undermine the international rules-based order including against Taiwan.
The concerns were raised during a meeting between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, according to a statement by the US government.
Blinken underscored the importance of maintaining open lines of communication to responsibly manage the competition between the world's two largest economies, it said.
"He also raised concerns about a range of PRC actions that undermine the international rules-based order and that run counter to our values and interests and those of our allies and partners, including actions related to human rights, Xinjiang, Tibet, Hong Kong, the East and South China Seas, and Taiwan," US State Department said in a statement.
The talks come amid rising tensions at multiple fronts due to China's assertiveness neighbouring waters, allegations of its human rights abuses and the increasing pressure it is placing on Taiwan.
The meeting between Blinken and Wang may help lay the groundwork for a planned virtual meeting between US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping later this year.
Blinken is accompanying Biden on the trip to Italy for the G-20 summit and later to Britain for the U.N. climate summit. Meanwhile, Wang Yi is also there for the summit.
China, in recent times, has ramped up pressure on Taiwan by sending a large number of military planes into its air defence identification zone. (ANI)