China challenges Biden: abide by our sovereignty
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping
(CNN) — US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is scheduled to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday in Beijing, as confirmed by the US State Department.
The meeting is set to take place at around 4:30 pm local time (4:30 am ET), according to the State Department.
With tensions rising between the two world powers, there is significant international interest in whether Blinken’s visit can help ease the strain between the world’s two largest economies.
Earlier on Monday morning, Blinken held talks with China’s highest-ranking diplomat, Wang Yi, in an effort to stabilize relations that have soured over a dispute involving Chinese surveillance balloons.
Wang Yi, the director of the office of the Communist Party of China’s central foreign affairs commission, is China’s top diplomat, ranking above Foreign Minister Qin Gang.
Blinken and Wang Yi had a “sincere and productive conversation,” according to a statement from State Department spokesman Matthew Miller.
“They discussed various bilateral and global issues that impact the United States, the People’s Republic of China (PRC), and the world,” the statement said.
Blinken emphasized the importance of managing US-China competition responsibly through open communication channels to prevent it from escalating into conflict, Miller added.
Blinken also reiterated that the United States will continue to use diplomacy to address concerns and protect the interests and values of the American people.
The two officials also explored opportunities for cooperation on shared transnational challenges, although no further details were provided, according to Miller.
Blinken’s visit to China
Blinken’s primary objective in China is to restore communication channels, particularly direct military-to-military communication between Washington and Beijing, according to a senior State Department official.
Upon arriving in Beijing on Sunday, Blinken had a busy agenda for the first day, starting with a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, who assumed office six months ago after serving as Beijing’s ambassador to Washington.
Blinken and Qin shook hands in front of reporters at the Diaoyutai State Guest House on Sunday afternoon, marking their first in-person meeting in their current positions.
During the meeting, which lasted over five hours, Blinken extended an invitation to Qin to visit Washington, and the invitation was accepted, according to State Department spokesman Matt Miller.
“The secretary invited Foreign Minister Qin to Washington for further discussions, and they agreed to schedule a reciprocal visit at a mutually convenient time,” Miller said, highlighting the importance of diplomacy and maintaining communication channels to reduce the risk of misunderstandings or miscalculations.
Blinken also expressed US concerns on various fronts and explored opportunities for collaboration where interests align, Miller added.
US officials present at the meeting included Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink and US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns.
On the Chinese side, Qin was accompanied by other officials from the Foreign Ministry, including Vice Foreign Minister Hua Chunying.
The meeting on Sunday was described as “direct” and resulted in progress on several fronts, with both sides demonstrating a desire to de-escalate tensions, according to a senior State Department official. However, the official also acknowledged the significant differences between the US and China.
Expanding flights between the two countries was one area of agreement, although no specific details were shared with reporters regarding any substantive issues.
Following the afternoon meeting, Blinken had a working dinner with Qin, as confirmed by the US State Department.
A strained relationship
The relationship between the Biden administration and Beijing is one of the most complex and consequential, marked by months of tension and two recent military-related incidents.
Biden and Xi met in person for the first time as presidents on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit in Indonesia last November.
Blinken’s trip, which was announced after the meeting between Biden and Xi, was originally scheduled for February but was postponed due to the discovery of a suspected Chinese spy balloon transiting the US, which Blinken stated at the time “undermined the purpose of the trip.”
Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Biden acknowledged “legitimate differences” with China but expressed willingness to discuss areas of potential cooperation.
— Alex Stambaugh contributed to this report.
