Uighur, Hong Kong issues to make for ‘difficult’ US-China talks

US officials are predicting many ‘areas of disagreement’ will come up in next week’s diplomatic meetings.

In advance of what the United States is forecasting will be “difficult” talks with Chinese diplomats next week, the White House said Thursday that US officials will address the “genocide” of China’s Muslim Uighur minority. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will meet their Chinese counterparts on March 18 and 19 after their first overseas trip to Japan and South Korea. “Addressing the genocide against Uighur Muslims is something that will be a topic of discussion with the Chinese directly next week,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Thursday.