WASHINGTON/BEIJING – United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s trip to Beijing aims to build open communications with China, amid low expectations of any breakthrough in the rancorous relationship.
Hours before his departure on Friday to Beijing, Mr Blinken told reporters: “Intense competition requires sustained diplomacy to ensure that competition does not veer into confrontation or conflict.”
The first objective of his trip is to establish “open and empowered communications so that our two countries responsibly manage our relationship, including by discussing challenges, by addressing misperceptions, and avoiding miscalculations”, he said.
The trip is also to advance US interests and values and those the country shares with allies and partners, “including speaking directly and candidly about our very real concerns on a range of issues”, he added.
The US will also explore the potential for cooperation on transnational challenges such as global economic instability, illicit synthetic drugs, climate change and global health.
When asked if he was optimistic that his trip could lead to more interactions, Mr Blinken said it was in line with what President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping had agreed on when they met in Bali in November 2022 – which was to establish sustained, regular lines of communication at senior levels across governments.
“If we want to make sure, as we do, that the competition that we have with China doesn’t veer into conflict, the place you start is with communicating,” he added. “We’ll see what comes from this visit.”
Mr Blinken will hold talks on Sunday and Monday in Beijing, including with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang.
It is the first trip to China by a top US diplomat in nearly five years.
In February, Mr Blinken called off a planned trip to Beijing due to a row over an alleged Chinese spy balloon flying over the US. America eventually shot it down, and the incident plunged US-China relations to a new low.
Mr Blinken also has to contend with China hawks in Washington – especially in Congress, where many view China as an enemy – who compete with one another to be more hawkish, and are ready to pounce on any hint of the Biden administration being soft on Beijing.
Mr Qin, in a phone call with Mr Blinken ahead of his visit, told the latter that the US should “stop interfering in China’s internal affairs, and stop harming China’s sovereignty, security and development interests in the name of competition”, said a statement from China’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday.
https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilQFodHRwczovL3d3dy5zdHJhaXRzdGltZXMuY29tL3dvcmxkL3VuaXRlZC1zdGF0ZXMvZmlyc3Qtc3RlcC1pbi1hLXN0ZWVwLXVwaGlsbC1jbGltYi1leHBlcnRzLWhhdmUtbG93LWhvcGVzLWZvci11cy1jaGluYS1icmVha3Rocm91Z2gtb24tYmxpbmtlbi12aXNpdNIBAA?oc=5
2023-06-17 15:43:09Z
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