Sino-U.S. talks in Alaska, which began with an undiplomatic dust-up over issues including human rights and aggression toward Taiwan, were “candid, constructive and helpful,” insisted China’s ambassador to the U.S. Seen from Taipei, however, the performance of Beijing’s top envoys was derisory and only strengthened the island’s resolve to resist the mainland’s threats.

Ambassador Cui Tiankai said that despite the obvious gulf between the two sides, they had much common ground to work on. “Such differences only justify more effective exchanges and communication in the future,” he said.

“China and the U.S. can cooperate on the most demanding tasks, such as climate change, for the good of humanity,” Cui tweeted on his return to Washington, sharing a photo of the view from his plane window that he said showed the “global warming impact on this planet.”

The hardline performance of Yang Jiechi, the Communist Party’s — and therefore China’s — top foreign policy official during heated exchanges on the first day of the meeting won applause from some Chinese netizens for “standing up” to the U.S.

But that performance had reduced Yang to the level of Hu Xijin, the sabre-rattling editor of the nationalist tabloid and Party mouthpiece Global Times, according to Taiwan political scientist Fan Shih-ping.

The strain in relations between the two countries would result in closer ties between Taiwan and the United States, Fan said.

Yang’s reiteration in Alaska of Chinese claims over Taiwan drew a strong rebuttal from the government in Taipei.

Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council said that Taiwan had never belonged to the People’s Republic of China and that this would continue to be the case.

The future of Taiwan and its development were matters that only the 23 million people living there had a right to decide on, it said.

Click here for Chinese version

---------------------------------

Apple Daily’s all-new English Edition is now available on the mobile app: bit.ly/2yMMfQE

To download the latest version,

iOS: bit.ly/AD_iOS

Android: bit.ly/AD_android

Or search Appledaily in App Store or Google Play