Singapore's deputy PM calls China-U.S. Alaska meeting one step in right direction

The China-U.S. high-level strategic dialogue is a step in the right direction, which showed a recognition from both sides of the need for dialogue and cooperation, Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat said Monday.

Heng made the remarks on the two-day dialogue in Alaska while delivering a keynote address at the Credit Suisse Asian Investment Conference.

"It is important that they persevere -- maintain open channels of communication, find a way forward to deal with their differences, and manage the tensions and frictions," the deputy prime minister said.

"It is in the interest of both sides to cooperate on common challenges, including tackling COVID-19 and climate change," he said.

Heng also expressed his expectation that China and the United States could develop a framework for cooperation.

Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, and Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Thursday and Friday in the Alaskan city of Anchorage.