Major accusation and sanctions warning from the US to China: 'I wanted them to get the message again'

Blinken made assessments to CNN on the final day of his three-day visit to China.

Stating that he reiterated the message that President Joe Biden conveyed to Chinese President Xi Jinping at the summit in San Francisco in November 2023, Blinken said, "Generally speaking, we have seen evidence of attempts to influence and arguably interfere in (the elections), and we want to make sure that that is ended as quickly as possible."

Emphasizing that China's interference in the elections is unacceptable and that they are examining it carefully, Blinken stated, "I wanted them to get the message again."

Noting that they are focusing on areas where they are working to cooperate with China, Blinken expressed that the two countries have also been extremely candid about their differences, and that this is very important to prevent the current competition from turning into conflict.

"SANCTIONS WILL BE IMPOSED IF IT CONTINUES"

Blinken said he conveyed to both Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Xi the Biden administration's concerns regarding Chinese support for Russia's defense industry and the message that the US would impose sanctions if this support continues.

Stating that his Chinese counterparts did not accept that their support for Russia plays a role in the war in Ukraine, Blinken conveyed that the Chinese side defended this support as trade with Russia and argued that Moscow's success did not depend on it.

BLINKEN SUPPORTS THE RIGHT OF AMERICANS TO PROTEST

While speaking about the pro-Palestinian demonstrations spreading across universities in the US, Secretary of State Blinken said that Americans have the right to protest.

Blinken pointed out that there are instances where antisemitism is clearly expressed in the demonstrations, but that the protests themselves are not inherently antisemitic, stating, "What we're also seeing are people, young people, people from different parts of our society, who have very strong feelings, who feel very passionately about the conflict."

Emphasizing the importance of protests in democracies, Blinken said, "In our country, in our society, and in our democracy, expressing that is of course both appropriate and protected."

Although Blinken said the US listens to its people and "takes their views into account," he answered "no" to the question of whether the administration would consider stopping arms shipments to Israel.

ENDING THE WAR IN GAZA

Pointing out that many potential deals in Gaza have not been finalized, Blinken said that the decision of whether or not to allow a ceasefire belongs to Hamas.

Stating that tensions in the region seem to be de-escalating following the air strikes between Iran and Israel, Blinken said, "I hope we don't see that kind of escalation."

Blinken also noted that it might be possible to put forward a framework for normalizing relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, along with a two-state solution proposal for Israelis and Palestinians, before a ceasefire is reached in Gaza, and continued his speech as follows:

"Whether there's a ceasefire or not, we're going to continue to advance those possibilities, but for that to happen, the conflict in Gaza is going to have to end. The Palestinian question is also going to have to be resolved, or at least there's going to have to be an agreement on how it's resolved."

Referring to the countries that contributed to Israel's defense following Iran's air strike on April 13, Blinken commented that in the future, Israel could be truly integrated into the region and other countries could help ensure Israel's defense, saying:

"But that also requires the conflict (in Gaza) to end and it requires a clear pathway to a Palestinian state. In that kind of future, Israel will get what it has wanted from the beginning, which is normal relations with countries in the region."

Adding that the US is continuing its efforts to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia as part of the potential for reaching a deal that would end Israel's attacks on Gaza, Blinken made the following assessment:

"We are working intensely to flesh this out. We are also working on this with our European partners. I think the more concrete this becomes and the more it moves from being theoretical to something real, everyone involved will really have to make decisions and choices. And we are trying to make that as real as possible."