The correspondent of La Stampa in New York, Paolo Mastrolilli interviewed the American Secretary of State, Tony Blink on Italy-US relations, with a particular focus on China. The Secretary of State on the Silk Road did not mince words: "We and Italy now remain united even if China wants us divided, we will have to work together to bridge the gap ".
On the side vaccines he said the US will do much more in the coming months and be the leader in global access. Blinken yesterday spoke to the UN via the internet, presiding over a meeting of the Security Council on the humanitarian issue in Syria. On the sidelines of the proceedings, he always met journalists in a virtual way. When asked by the journalist of La Stampa on relations with China in Europe and Italy, he replied: "Our relationship with Beijing, like that of many allies, is competitive in some cases, collaborative in others, and antagonistic in still others. However, there is a common denominator, namely the need to face China from a position of strength, which starts from solid alliances, in coordination and collaboration. It is true that the US will not force its allies to choose between us and Beijing, for one simple reason. The point is not to contain China or keep it down, but to preserve the rules-based international order system, in which we have all invested so much over the past 75 years, and which has served our interests and values well. When anyone challenges this system, China or others; does not play by respecting the rules; or try to undermine the commitments made by others, we all have reason to object. This is the point: to defend, preserve and strengthen the rules-based order. And when we see China acting by undermining this order, violating human rights, or other solemn commitments made by Beijing, then we must unite, make our voices heard, and act together in support of the order. We know that our allies have complex relations with the People's Republic, and they don't always line up perfectly. Just as we have areas where cooperation with China is right, so do allies, and we recognize it. But we see the need to navigate these challenges together. This means working with allies to eliminate differences in areas where China seeks to divide us. It was a very important aspect of the trips I made in Asia and Europe ”.
North Korea Dossier: "We are in the midst of reviewing our policy towards Pyongyang. The process has come to an end, we are eager to discuss it with allies and apply it in close coordination. We have recently received provocations, and we have condemned them. These destabilizing ballistic missile launches are condemned not only by our allies, but by the entire UN system, because they violate multiple resolutions and threaten the region and the international community. Our commitment to the defense of South Korea and Japan is unwavering. In these illegal nuclear and missile programs we see a serious threat to international peace and security, and something that also undermines the global non-proliferation regime that we all have an interest in. Pyongyang's provocations do not shake our resolve and that of our allies. We need an approach to North Korea from a position of strength. That's what we're doing, and we'll have more to add when we complete the review and share it. "
Vaccines issue with China: “When China violates human rights, we must unite to make our voices heard not only to fight Covid now, but also to build a strong global health safety system to prevent or mitigate the next pandemic. We contributed $ 2 billion to the Covax program to expand access to vaccines around the world, plus 2022 more in XNUMX. We made a deal with Japan, Australia and India for the same purpose, and made contributions to our closest neighbors, Mexico. and Canada, with doses. I predict that as we vaccinate the entire American population, we will be able to do even more in the world. In the coming months and years, the US will be the leader in advancing access to vaccines in the world ”.
Syria and climate change: "We must do something, the channels for the passage of aid to the population must remain open. We invited 40 foreign leaders to push major economies to raise collective ambitions. If you ask around the world, you feel we are back, we listen to partners, and we are committed to the theme that is a priority at the heart of efforts to build a safer and more prosperous world. We believe that by addressing the climate crisis, the US can also revitalize the economy, create millions of good jobs, and build sustainable infrastructure. The president sees it as a government-wide approach, to set us on an irreversible path to zero emissions in 2050. Our partners note that it is at the heart of our foreign policy, and we will use this decisive year to make real progress ”.