Blinken arrives in Beijing in bid to thaw frosty US-China relations
Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in Beijing amid frosty US-China relations.
Having postponed a visit in February after a suspected Chinese spy balloon flew over American airspace, Blinken is the highest-ranking US authorities official to go to China since Joe Biden took workplace. During his keep, he’s anticipated to fulfill with Foreign Minister Qin Gang, China’s high diplomat Wang Yi and presumably President Xi Jinping.
There is expectation that Blinken’s go to will pave the way in which for extra bilateral conferences, together with attainable journeys by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. It may additionally set the stage for conferences between Xi and Biden at multilateral summits later within the yr.
READ MORE: Iran ‘quietly becoming military dictatorship – China and Putin will be happy’
Biden mentioned he hopes to fulfill with President Xi within the subsequent a number of months.
“There’s a recognition on both sides that we do need to have senior-level channels of communication,” a senior State Department official advised reporters through the journey.
“That we are at an important point in the relationship where I think reducing the risk of miscalculation, or as our Chinese friends often say, stopping the downward spiral in the relationship, is something that’s important.”
Ties between the nations have deteriorated throughout the board, elevating issues that they may sooner or later conflict militarily over the self-ruled island of Taiwan, which China claims as its personal.
They are additionally at odds over points starting from commerce, US efforts to carry again China’s semiconductor business and Beijing’s human rights file.
Speaking at a press convention earlier than departing for Beijing, Blinken mentioned his journey had three major targets – organising mechanisms for disaster administration, advancing US and allies’ pursuits and talking straight about associated issues, and exploring areas of potential cooperation.
“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,” Blinken mentioned.
Among matters more likely to be mentioned are probably rising business flights between the 2 nations. Xi supplied a touch of a attainable willingness to cut back tensions on Friday, saying in a gathering with Bill Gates that the US and China can cooperate to “benefit our two countries”.
“I believe that the foundation of Sino-US relations lies in the people,” Xi mentioned to Gates. “Under the current world situation, we can carry out various activities that benefit our two countries, the people of our countries, and the entire human race.”