Antony J. Blinken landed in Beijing on Sunday morning, the first visit by a U.S. secretary of state to China since 2018. Tense relations delayed the trip for months: He planned visited in February, but postponed it after the Pentagon announced that China’s surveillance balloon drifting across the continental United States.
Blinken and other US officials have expressed hope that the visit could usher in a more constructive era of diplomacy. But China has maintained a confrontational stance in recent weeks, raising concerns that meetings in Beijing could turn hostile rather than friendly.
Both sides produced a list of grievances and issues to discuss during the two-day meeting that will likely be an important gauge of whether China and the United States can soon mend the fence.
What problems are on Blinken’s list?
American officials have emphasized that the re-establishment of high-level diplomatic relations is their priority. They say the two sides need to establish channels of communication to defuse existing tensions that could escalate in a crisis – such as a collision between a naval vessel or plane in the Taiwan Strait or East Sea.
Security issues are potentially heavy. American officials are increasingly worried about close clashes with the Chinese military in the waters surrounding China. The United States is also closely monitoring China’s efforts to establish military bases across Asia, Africa and the Middle East, and is warning China not to provide lethal military aid to Russia. during the war in Ukraine.
Mr. Blinken plans to talk to Chinese officials about global issues in which the two countries may have common interests, including climate change and economic stability around the world, said Daniel J. Kritenbrink. , said the top official for East Asia at the State Department.
Blinken is also likely to demand that China release some US citizens who are detained, jailed or barred from leaving the country, and try to restart some people-to-people exchanges. Those could include expanding the small number of journalist visas each country agreed to grant the other very early on under the Biden administration before relations soured.
U.S. officials also said they expect talks with China to limit exports of substances used to make fentanyl, a drug that has led to a deadly addiction problem in the United States and other countries.
What can China say?
China is expected to issue a series of grievances that reflect Beijing’s view that the United States is a waning hegemon determined to cling to power by containing China economically, militarily, and economically. diplomatic.
Topping China’s list is Taiwan, a de facto independent island that Beijing claims as its territory and receives military aid from Washington.
China’s leader, Xi Jinping, has described Taiwan as “the center of China’s core interests” and accused the US of supporting “pro-independence” forces and interfering in public affairs. China’s internal affairs.
China is also likely to express deep frustration with US-led efforts to limit China’s access to semiconductor chips and advanced manufacturing equipment. The restrictions, which the United States says are necessary to prevent American technology from getting into the hands of the People’s Liberation Army, could hamper China’s technological development for years. China sees the ban as an example of “zero-sum competition” that is pushing the two countries to confrontation.
Despite China’s rapid military buildup, Beijing is expected to accuse Washington of trying to incite conflict by tightening security ties with regional powers including Japan and South Korea. , Philippines, Australia and India.
China says it ultimately wants the United States to treat it like a peer power so it has an equal voice in the international arena and doesn’t feel threatened by the US military presence in Asia. .
Will Xi meet Blinken privately?
A big question on the trip was whether Mr. Blinken would meet Mr. Xi. U.S. and Chinese officials are still working out the final details of Blinken’s schedule for the past week, and there may be no confirmation of a meeting until the last minute. Much will depend on how the meetings go on Sunday and early Monday.
The two men had talked before, though. Mr. Blinken has met with Mr. Xi several times, including in 2011 when he traveled to Beijing and Chengdu as national security adviser to Mr. Biden, who was then vice president and tasked with visiting China. Quoc to get acquainted with Mr. Xi. .Xi, his counterpart at the time.
Considering Mr. Xi’s appearance could be an attempt by him and other Chinese officials to present a more diplomatic face to the world in recent times, including his hosting of a host of leaders. foreign leaders in China this year.
Vivian Wang contribution report.
