US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a second and final day of meetings with senior Chinese officials on Monday. Tensions between the two countries continued to soar. Blinken had a meeting with China’s top diplomat Wang Yi for about three hours. But it is not confirmed whether he will meet President Xi Jinping before departing.
During their meeting, neither Blinken nor Wang made any comments to reporters. China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement in which Wang Yi said that Blinken’s visit to Beijing coincided with a critical juncture in China-U.S. relations. Emphasizing the need for a choice between dialogue or confrontation, cooperation or conflict. The statement blamed the U.S.’s erroneous perception of China and incorrect policies for the current low point in relations. Asserting that the U.S. had a responsibility to halt the decline and return the relationship to a healthy and stable track.
While Blinken’s visit to China was seen as an opportunity for dialogue, both sides have downplayed the prospects for significant breakthroughs on the most contentious issues. The emphasis has been on establishing and maintaining better lines of communication. The State Department highlighted the importance of responsibly managing the competition between the U.S. and China. Through open channels of communication to avoid conflict.
Agreement to Continue High-Level Discussions, but no Breakthroughs
During the first round of talks on Sunday, Blinken had a nearly six-hour meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang. Both countries agreed to continue high-level discussions. But there were no indications of progress on the most contentious issues. Qin accepted an invitation from Blinken to visit Washington. Beijing stressed that the China-U.S. relationship was at its lowest point since its establishment, a sentiment shared by U.S. officials.
Antony Blinken’s visit to China is significant as he is the highest-level American official to visit the country since President Joe Biden took office. The trip comes after initial plans to travel to China were postponed in February following the shootdown of a Chinese surveillance balloon over the U.S.