Antony Blinken had a meeting with China’s President Xi Jinping on Monday afternoon, as reported by state media. This meeting marked the end of the US Secretary of State’s long-awaited visit to Beijing, which aimed to improve strained bilateral relations.
Prior to his meeting with Xi, Blinken met with China’s top diplomat Wang Yi, who called for a reversal of the downward spiral in US-China relations. This visit is significant as it is the first time a US Secretary of State has visited China since 2018, and it is widely believed that a meeting with the Chinese president is crucial for the success of Blinken’s visit. Previous US secretaries of state have typically met with China’s top leaders during their visits.
According to China’s foreign ministry, Wang struck a more constructive tone in his meeting with Blinken, expressing the need to find a correct way for China and the United States to coexist in the new era. However, Wang also blamed Washington for the current acrimony between the two sides, stating that the decline in US-China relations stems from the US’s erroneous perception of China.
Tensions between the two countries have escalated due to concerns over China’s military activities around Taiwan and its lack of condemnation towards Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In response, China accuses the US of imposing export controls on advanced technology and strengthening security arrangements with allies in the region to contain China’s ambitions.
Blinken’s visit to Beijing was initially scheduled earlier this year but was postponed after an alleged Chinese spy balloon flew over sensitive US military sites and was shot down in February.
The Biden administration is eager to re-establish diplomacy and open channels of communication with Beijing to minimize the risk of misperception and miscalculation in the relationship. Meanwhile, China is grappling with economic challenges and decreased foreign investment sentiment, which have been compounded by tensions with the US.
Prior to his meeting with Xi, Blinken spent five-and-a-half hours in talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang. Chinese state media outlets described the meeting as positive, stating that both sides agreed to build upon the understanding reached during the previous G20 summit between President Joe Biden and Xi in November.
The US State Department emphasized the importance of diplomacy and maintaining open channels of communication across various issues to minimize misperception and miscalculation. Blinken raised concerns and explored opportunities for cooperation with the People’s Republic of China on shared transnational issues.
Analysts believe that these efforts to restart dialogue may lay the groundwork for a face-to-face meeting between Xi and Biden in the US during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum summit in November.
Additional reporting by Maiqi Ding in Beijing
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