U.S., China top diplomats spar over Taiwan, S. China Sea

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the top Chinese diplomat, Wang Yi, sparred Saturday over Taiwan and the South China Sea during their talks on the sidelines of regional meetings in Laos while agreeing to maintain communication in the months ahead.Blinken emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and raised concerns about Beijing's "destabilizing actions" in the South China Sea, including at the Philippine-controlled Second Thomas Shoal, which is claimed by China, the State Department said.Wang said Taiwan, a self-ruled democratic island …READ FULL ARTICLE