China

has expressed interest in improving bilateral relations with the United States.

This was said by Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang during a conversation with his American colleague Anthony Blinken, Global Times reports.

"Foreign Minister Qin hopes to maintain a close working relationship with Blinken to help improve Sino-US relations," the statement said.

Blinken added that in a conversation with a Chinese colleague, he discussed "maintaining open lines of communication" between Washington and Beijing.

Earlier, China's ambassador to the European Union, Fu Kong, said that

Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine put China "in a very difficult position"

.

According to him, the Chinese authorities do not want to "choose between friends" — Ukraine and Russia.

In turn, the US said that China's claims of neutrality in the Russian Federation's war against Ukraine contradict real actions, which on the contrary show that

Beijing continues to build close ties with Moscow.

Relations between China and the United States

On the other hand, tensions between China and the United States do not subside due to the situation around Taiwan, which Beijing considers its territory.

Their relations intensified after the visit of the Speaker of the US House of Representatives,

 Nancy Pelosi

 , in August 2022.

China has reacted critically to the plans of American congressmen and leaders of the Congress to visit Taiwan.

Joe Biden emphasized that the United States will 

defend the island of Taiwan 

in the event of a Chinese invasion.

But Chinese authorities have condemned the United States for a new defense authorization law that increases military aid to Taiwan.

On December 22, 

Chinese planes entered the southeastern air defense zone of Taiwan, and

Taiwanese aircraft were lifted into the air.

Taiwan's air defense identification zone included 21 fighters and four H-6 bombers of the Chinese Air Force, as well as early warning aircraft, anti-submarine aircraft and refueling aircraft.

On December 25, China conducted military exercises with shootings off the coast of Taiwan due to the "provocation" of the United States.

And on December 26, the authorities of Taiwan announced that seventy-one aircraft and drones of the Chinese Air Force,

including fighter jets

, had entered the identification zone of its air defense forces during the day .

This Chinese incursion into Taiwan's air defense zone is the largest recorded incursion.

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