US Secretary of State Antony Blinken addressed the issue of failed military-to-military talks with China during his visit to Beijing. Despite hopes of reopening communication channels, Blinken’s visit marked the first high-level U.S.-China government meeting under the Biden administration after a tense period of four-plus months. Military communication between the two countries had dropped off during this time.
The decline in military communication started in early February when China’s Defense Ministry declined a call with its U.S. counterpart due to the discovery of an alleged Chinese spy balloon over U.S. airspace. While both countries’ defense heads attended an event in Singapore, they did not have a formal meeting.
The incident involving the spy balloon delayed Blinken’s visit to Beijing by more than four months. However, during his visit, Blinken had meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Director of the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Foreign Affairs Office Wang Yi, and State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang. In a statement to NBC News, Blinken mentioned that the spy balloon “chapter should be closed.”
The need for direct military communication between the two countries was repeatedly raised during the meetings. Blinken emphasized the importance of these communications, especially given recent incidents in the air and on the seas. However, China did not agree to move forward with this at the moment. The U.S. will continue working towards restoring these communication channels.
One of the issues hindering progress is the U.S. sanctions on Li Shangfu, China’s minister of national defense. Li was sanctioned in 2018 for overseeing Chinese purchases of Russian combat aircraft and equipment. The U.S. State Department spokesperson stated in May that the sanctions would not be lifted, even for negotiation purposes. The Chinese believe that discussions cannot happen while sanctions are in place.
Despite the challenges, Blinken’s trip to Beijing is seen as a positive turning point. It is expected that other senior U.S. officials will soon visit China, and vice versa, following this visit. Blinken expressed optimism about responsibly managing the U.S.-China relationship through the discussions that took place.
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