US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang and top diplomat Wang Yi in Beijing to address escalating tensions between the U.S. and China.
In a notable development, Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to China marks the highest-level visit by an American official since Joe Biden assumed the presidency. It also signifies the first visit by a U.S. Secretary of State to China in nearly five years.
Blinken Travel Plans Disrupted by Alleged Chinese Spy Balloon
Blinken’s original travel plans in February were disrupted due to reports of an alleged Chinese spy balloon flying over U.S. airspace. Subsequently, the U.S. took action to bring down the alleged balloon, leading to sustained tensions between the two largest economies.
Beijing maintained that the balloon was an unidentified weather tracker that had veered off course.
During his two-day visit, Blinken is scheduled to engage in a working dinner with Qin at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse. There are indications of a possible meeting with President Xi Jinping on Monday. Nevertheless, there are limited anticipations for a substantial enhancement in the relations between the United States and China, especially due to Blinken’s visit.
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Controversial Visit to Taiwan Sparks Beijing’s Displeasure
The State Department’s spokesperson, Matthew Miller, stated last week that Blinken will emphasize the importance of maintaining open lines of communication. He will also raise concerns related to bilateral issues, and global and regional matters, and explore potential cooperation on shared transnational challenges.
It is worth noting that a controversial visit to Taiwan by Nancy Pelosi, the former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, in August triggered Beijing’s displeasure.
China considers Taiwan as part of its territory and rejects its diplomatic autonomy. The U.S. recognizes Beijing as the sole legitimate government of China while maintaining unofficial relations with Taiwan, which is a self-governed democratic region.
Biden’s prospective visit to Beijing could potentially lay the groundwork for a meeting with Chinese President Xi in November, possibly coinciding with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders’ Summit to be held in San Francisco.
Significantly, towards the end of May, there was a meeting in Washington, D.C., between the U.S. Commerce Secretary and her Chinese counterpart. Additionally, there are expectations that U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will make a visit to China, although the specific timing has not been disclosed.
Furthermore, China’s new ambassador to the U.S., Xie Feng, arrived in the country in late May, filling a six-month vacancy in that position. Around the same time, President Biden expressed his expectation that tensions between the U.S. and China would begin to ease in the near future.
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