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China Lauds Alaska Talks With Washington as 'Useful', Urges Further Dialogue Amid Lingering Tensions

© REUTERS / POOLU.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (R) speaks while facing Yang Jiechi (L), director of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission Office, and Wang Yi (2nd L), China's State Councilor Wang and Foreign Minister, at the opening session of US-China talks at the Captain Cook Hotel in Anchorage, Alaska on March 18, 2021.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (R) speaks while facing Yang Jiechi (L), director of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission Office, and Wang Yi (2nd L), China's State Councilor Wang and Foreign Minister, at the opening session of US-China talks at the Captain Cook Hotel in Anchorage, Alaska on March 18, 2021. - Sputnik International, 1920, 22.03.2021
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The comments follow tense exchanges between Washington and Beijing, with both countries launching accusations of violating diplomatic protocols, according to reports.

China has said talks with the United States were "useful" and welcomed further negotiations with Washington after talks in Alaska last week, Bloomberg reported on Monday.

“It was a timely and useful dialogue that enhanced mutual understanding. Both hope to continue this kind of high level strategic communication,” Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters in Beijing.

But the days-long negotiations saw several spikes in tensions, with US secretary of state Antony Blinken accusing China of numerous human rights abuses, the report said.

Chinese official Yang Jiechi responded, stating the US had a flawed democracy and was not "qualified to speak to China from a position of strength".

​A further Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Friday Beijing was "prepared to conduct the dialogue with sincerity in line with prior arrangements" from both sides.

Washington "should not underestimate China's determination" to defend its national interests, namely in territorial disputes over the South China Sea and others, Hua added.

But both sides agreed on building a working group on climate change and to cooperate on visas, trade, cybersecurity and many other subjects.

The news comes amid fierce tensions between Beijing and Washington, namely after the latter accused China of alleged human rights abuses in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), among others, leading to calls from numerous Western lawmakers to pass measures declaring the alleged abuses as genocide, sparking anger from Beijing.

The skyline of the business district is silhouetted at sunset in Hong Kong Monday, 13 July 2020. - Sputnik International, 1920, 11.03.2021
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US and British officials also alleged China had violated the 1997 Sino-British Joint Declaration after Beijing and Hong Kong officials passed a national security law last July, which aimed at cracking down on violent secessionist protests in the special administrative region. Tensions soured further after Beijing voted for electoral reforms in Hong Kong to strengthen pro-government sentiment for the region's legislative body.

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