The world is locked in this meeting… Critical contacts in China by Blinken
The US minister arrived in Beijing this morning for a two-day official visit. Blinken was greeted at the airport by Chinese Vice Foreign Minister for North American and Oceanian Affairs Yang Tao and US Ambassador to Beijing Nicolas Burns.
Blinken is the highest-ranking official to arrive in Beijing since US President Joe Biden took office in early 2021, and the first US Secretary of State to visit China in 5 years. The most recent Secretary of State of the Donald Trump era, Mike Pompeo, visited Beijing in 2018.
US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping decided that Blinken would visit Beijing during their meeting at the G20 Summit held on the Indonesian island of Bali in November 2022, but the scheduled February visit came to a halt. level of China and was canceled due to the crisis experienced after the entry of the hot air balloon into American airspace.
Upon his arrival in Beijing, Blinken met his counterpart, the China Gang, at the Diaoyutai State Guest House. The meeting between the ministerial delegations lasted 5 hours and a half. The US and Chinese delegations also met for a working dinner after the meeting.
Emphasis on the TAIWAN PROBLEM
According to the statement from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Minister China Gang said that Sino-US relations were at the worst moment since the establishment of diplomatic ties, and that this situation was not in line with the interests of the two. . peoples and the expectations of the international community.
Expressing that China views its relations with the United States within the framework of the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation put forward by President Xi Jinping, China Gang stressed that these principles should be the common spirit, goal and the red line. of relationships
Stating that they want to establish a stable, predictable and constructive relationship with the United States, the China Gang said, “We hope that the United States will take an objective and rational view of China, work with China to preserve the political foundation of relations, and handle unexpected individual events. in a rational, calm and professional manner.” saying.
The Chinese minister stressed that the parties should strive to move relations back to a stable direction in accordance with the content and spirit of the understanding reached by the US and Chinese leaders during their meeting in Bali.
Stressing that the Taiwan issue is China’s most fundamental interest, its most important issue and the most obvious risk in Sino-US relations, the China Gang urged the US side to adhere to the one-China principle, its obligations in the Three Joint Declarations that form the basis of diplomatic relations, and “Taiwan independence” urged us to honor their commitment to “not support”.
KEEP CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION OPEN
In the statement from the US State Department, it was indicated that Minister Blinken pointed out the importance of keeping communication channels open in different problematic and diplomatic areas to avoid the risks of misperception and miscalculation.
In the statement, Minister Blinken expressed the possibilities for cooperation on transnational issues where China’s interests conflict, as well as numerous issues of concern in relations, and has made it clear that he will work with allies and partners to uphold international order. . ” It was said.
In the statement, it was noted that Bilinken invited the China Gang to Washington for a visit to continue the dialogue.
During the meeting, the parties agreed to continue consultations on the guiding principles in China-US relations, address certain issues in relations with the joint working group, and promote people-to-people interactions in the field of business and education.
Blinken is expected to meet tomorrow with China’s top diplomat Wang Yi, director of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Office of the Central Commission on Foreign Relations, and President Xi Jinping.
Blinken visits Beijing at a time when economic and strategic competition between China and the US has increased, current issues and tensions remain unresolved, and mutual mistrust in relations prevails.
There are many problem areas between the two countries, from the Taiwan issue to the military tension in the South China Sea, from economic and technological competition to the issue of human rights.
During the visit, the parties are expected to reiterate their positions on problem areas, but full consensus for a solution is not expected to be reached in any area. However, the visit is important as the last link in the steps taken in recent months to restore diplomatic communication, which was interrupted after the globe crisis.
GLOBE CRISIS AND THE ROP OF DIPLOMACY
The US Department of Defense reported on February 3 that a high-altitude intelligence balloon allegedly belonging to China was detected flying over the continental US and passed over some sensitive military installations in the state of Montana. , including nuclear warheads and long-range missiles. missile depots.
China claimed that the balloon was a civilian aircraft belonging to the country, was used for meteorological research, and because its controllability was limited, it accidentally entered US airspace as it was blown by the winds.
While China’s statement did not satisfy Washington, Foreign Minister Antony Blinken canceled his planned visit to China.
On February 4, as the balloon rose over the Atlantic Ocean at the behest of President Joe Biden, it was shot down by a fighter jet in US territorial waters.
The Beijing administration had protested against the United States on the grounds that it “interfered with the civilian drone by force.”
While diplomatic relations were largely severed due to the crisis, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Director of the CCP’s Office of the Central Commission on Foreign Relations Vang Yi took action to restore relations during their meeting in Vienna, Austria, on May 10-11. (AA)