US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken is visiting Beijing and spoke with his counterpart Qin Gang. It is the first time in five years that a US secretary of state has visited China. Blinken may speak to Chinese President Xi Jinping later. “It would be a huge embarrassment if it weren’t,” says sinologist Boudewijn Poldermans of the Netherlands China Business Council.
Poldermans summarized a long list of mutual grievances on which both ministers exchanged ideas and on which some relaxation is hoped for. At the top of the agenda, of course, is Taiwan’s hottest potato. “China regards US actions and politicians’ visits to Taiwan as an invasion of China’s internal affairs, and of course this also applies to US arms shipments to Taiwan.”
Poldermans also believes that China believes the United States is blocking its rise by blocking the sale of important semiconductors and imposing high tariffs on Chinese products. China is also troubled by the increased US military presence in the Pacific, with the latest point of irritation being the establishment of a NATO office in Japan. “In general, China thinks the United States should show more respect to the Chinese.”
“Of course America is strongly against China’s human rights policy and growing cyberattacks”
Wishlist
Conversely, of course, the Americans also have a list they want China to work on. More recently, the Sinologist mentions the aggressive actions of the Chinese Air Force and Navy in the Pacific and near Taiwan, resulting in several near misses with a US aircraft. The United States also believes that China does not speak out enough against Russian aggression in Ukraine and exerts too little pressure on Putin.
The United States also wants China to end its espionage activities. If it was the first Chinese weather balloons that gave Washington a headache, now it is China’s intention to set up a spy station in Cuba. Washington also wants China to stop supplying Latin American countries with the chemicals used to produce fentanyl, an addictive drug that has caused an epidemic in the United States.
Anything else? “Of course America is strongly opposed to China’s human rights policy and growing cyberattacks.”
Blinken called the talks enlightening and constructive in terms of content, according to Poldermans China also thinks so. Although the Chinese media continue to blame the US for the economic malaise and write that this is the reason for the rapprochement, according to Poldermans this also applies to China.
Neutral files
In any case, both countries are trying to cooperate on more “neutral” issues such as global food security, stability and climate. In short, where the interests of both countries overlap. According to Poldermans, preparations are also being made for a possible visit by Xi Jinping to the US, the restoration of air connections and the exchange of students.
Blinken’s visit is a direct result of talks Joe Biden and Xi Jinping had at the G7 summit in Bali last year. There it was agreed to keep communication channels open, at least on a military level, between the two countries whose relations appear to be at an all-time low.
Poldermans also expects Blinken to speak to President Xi Jinping. “I almost think so. Of course it would also have been a huge embarrassment if it hadn’t happened that way.’
China and the United States must choose between cooperation or conflict. This is what top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi said during his conversation with Blinken. Yesterday Blinken met his Chinese colleague Qin Gang. The conversation lasted for hours and was much longer than expected. Qin Gang said that he will also be able to visit the United States in due course. Wang Yi is the head of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Communist Party of China and is higher in the hierarchy than the Foreign Minister.
Source: BNR
Sharon Rock is an author and journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. She has a passion for learning about different cultures and understanding the complexities of the world. With a talent for explaining complex global issues in an accessible and engaging way, Sharon has become a respected voice in the field of world news journalism.
