TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken reaffirmed the importance of peace in the Taiwan Strait in his meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (王毅) and Chinese leader Xi Jinping (習近平) on Friday (April 26).

Blinken also expressed concern over China’s military operations in the South China Sea, according to the U.S. State Department. He said the U.S. will continue to pursue its “interests and values” and support its allies, including on human rights and economic issues.

Wang previously said the U.S. should also refrain from crossing China’s red lines regarding “sovereignty, security, and development interests.” Beijing has always stressed mutual respect for “each other’s core interests” and no interference in its “internal affairs,” he added. 

The two officials “had in-depth, substantive, and constructive discussions about areas of difference and cooperation,” said the State Department. They also discussed how the two countries will continue counternarcotics cooperation and military dialogue, and bolster people-to-people ties.

Blinken’s trip comes as cross-strait tensions are at an all-time high. China’s increased military activities in the Taiwan Strait have prompted Taiwan to strengthen its defense capabilities with weapons purchases and routine drills. 

The Taiwanese military concluded its eight-day computer simulation portion of the Han Kuang exercise on April 26. This year’s tabletop games focused on military readiness and preservation, Liberty Times reported. 

It also drew lessons from the war in Ukraine, and the conflict in Gaza, and considered cognitive warfare and asymmetric warfare.

The live-fire portion of the annual military exercise is set to begin in July.