U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will embark on a journey to China, seeking to revitalize the strained relations between Washington and Beijing and to ensure the continuity of dialogue, as announced by the State Department on Wednesday.
This marks Blinken’s first visit to China, making him the highest-ranking U.S. official to do so since the inauguration of President Joe Biden. Although initially slated to occur earlier, the visit was indefinitely postponed following the detection and neutralization of what the U.S. claimed to be a Chinese espionage balloon over American soil.
Despite the continued hostilities and blame game over actions in the Taiwan Strait, the South China Sea, China’s failure to denounce Russia’s war on Ukraine, and U.S. allegations of Beijing’s efforts to amplify its global surveillance prowess, including in Cuba, there have been lesser diplomatic interactions between the two nations.
The State Department confirmed Blinken’s upcoming trip, which is set to commence on Sunday, following a conversation with his Chinese counterpart, Foreign Minister Qin Gang, on Tuesday night. Departing from Washington late on Friday, Blinken’s visit was first brought to light by The Associated Press and other media last week.
While in Beijing, Blinken is scheduled to converse with high-ranking officials of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), emphasizing the need for open dialogue channels for managing the U.S.-PRC relationship responsibly. The Secretary will also raise bilateral issues, global and regional matters, and possible collaboration on common transnational challenges.
According to the foreign ministry’s summary of the call, Qin appealed to the U.S. to respect “China’s core concerns,” such as Taiwan’s autonomy, cease meddling in China’s internal affairs, and halt actions that may infringe upon China’s sovereignty, security, and developmental interests under the guise of competition.
Recognizing the new challenges that Sino-U.S. ties have faced since the year’s onset, Qin emphasized the mutual obligation of both parties to properly manage disparities, foster reciprocal exchanges, enhance cooperation, and stabilize relations.
The visit of Blinken, the first U.S. secretary of state to tour China since 2018, will see meetings with Qin on Sunday, China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, and potentially with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday, as informed by U.S. officials.
This trip transpires amidst an array of issues complicating U.S-China relations, which have been deteriorating steadily since the Trump administration, originally due to trade disputes and industrial espionage. These worries have since escalated to include human rights concerns regarding China’s treatment of Uyghur Muslims and other minorities in Xinjiang, Hong Kong, and Tibet, increased Chinese aggression towards Taiwan, along with disputes over the origins of the COVID-19 virus.
Last year, during a meeting in Bali, Xi and Biden concurred that as the globe’s two largest economies, it was essential to maintain contact and prevent misunderstandings in their global rivalry that could potentially ignite conflict. Blinken’s trip, which was almost initiated in February, was delayed due to the spy balloon incident, with Beijing insisting it was a weather balloon that veered off track.
High-level meetings have occurred despite the rare contact as tensions have escalated over China’s conduct in the South China Sea, aggressive stance towards Taiwan, and support for Russia’s war against Ukraine. Following the deferment of his Beijing visit, Blinken briefly interacted with Wang at the Munich Security Conference in Germany. Moreover, in May, CIA chief William Burns visited China, and China’s commerce minister called the U.S. last month. Additionally, Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan met with Wang in Vienna in early May.
Just last week, the U.S.’s top diplomat for the Asia-Pacific region, Daniel Kritenbrink, and a senior National Security Council official travelled to China to finalize Blinken’s trip’s details.
Despite these advancements, the Biden administration recently reported that it had discreetly thwarted Chinese efforts to strengthen its intelligence gathering and military capabilities globally, including in Cuba.
Blinken’s visit was pre-empted by an announcement on Monday, stating that upon assuming office in January 2021, U.S. intelligence agencies briefed President Biden on Beijing’s various sensitive attempts to enhance their overseas military and intelligence infrastructure.
Blinken stated that despite previous upgrades to their facilities in Cuba in 2019, more was needed under Biden’s directive, as the Trump administration had yet to make significant strides. Although not providing specific details, the Biden administration has swiftly moved to enlarge its diplomatic presence, particularly in the Indian Ocean and Pacific island nations, with plans to open at least five new embassies within the next year or so.
After his Beijing visit, Blinken is set to proceed to London to participate in a Ukraine reconstruction conference on June 21, according to the State Department.
This landmark visit signifies a critical turning point in U.S.-China relations, demonstrating the Biden administration’s commitment to engage with China amid ongoing geopolitical tensions. It remains to be seen how the diplomatic efforts of Secretary Blinken will influence the future course of relations between the two superpowers. As the world closely monitors these developments, it is hoped that this engagement will lead to constructive dialogues, promoting peace and stability in the global arena.
