“I’m very proud of the secretary of state,” Biden said when asked by reporters on the South Lawn for his reaction to the first day of talks, which started with a blistering exchange on Thursday in Anchorage, Alaska. Talks resumed there Friday morning local time. It was unclear whether either side would appear before the press once their meeting was over.
The extraordinary interaction unfolded in front of reporters at the start of Thursday’s meetings when Chinese officials ignored protocol to rebut Blinken’s description of Washington’s “deep concerns” about some of China’s actions and vociferously criticize the US, the state of its democracy and domestic racial tensions. Blinken then brought the cameras back into the room to offer his own, unscripted rebuttal from the Chinese officials.
By evening, the Chinese had accused the US delegation of being “condescending” in its tone, while a…
