Top US, Chinese diplomats meet in New York

NEW YORK - Top US and Chinese diplomats met Friday Sep 23 in New York as soaring tensions show signs of easing, but Beijing issued a new warning against support for Taiwan.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi shook hands but exchanged only pleasantries before cameras before sitting down with aides on the sidelines of the annual United Nations summit.

It was their first encounter since extensive talks in July in Bali, where both sides appeared optimistic for more stability.

One month later, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan and infuriated Beijing, which staged exercises that were seen as a trial run for an invasion of self-governing democracy.

In a sign of smoother relations, Wang met with US climate envoy John Kerry in New York despite China's announcement after Pelosi visited that it was curtailing cooperation on the issue, a priority for Biden.

Blinken went ahead with the talks despite the death of his father on Thursday. Immediately before seeing Wang, he met with his counterparts from Australia, Japan and India, the so-called Quad that Beijing denounced as an attempt to isolate it.

Blinken said that our four countries know the significant challenges that we face, as well as the opportunities that are ahead of us, and that we need more than ever to work together, as the ministers signed an agreement on cooperation in disaster relief.