Jakarta –
Minister of Foreign Affairs (Minister of Foreign Affairs) United States (US) Antony Blinken arrived in Beijing, China, after his previous visit had been cancelled. Blinken began meeting with Chinese officials, one of whom was the Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs (Chinese Foreign Minister) Qin Gang.
Summary detikcom, Sunday (18/6/2023), Blinken is the first top American diplomat to visit China in 5 years amid strained relations. Blinken’s visit was carried out in the midst of tension with a number of missions.
US Secretary of State Arrives in China
United States (US) Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives in Beijing, China. Reported by Reuters, Sunday (18/6/2023), Blinken arrived in China after previously canceling plans for a visit last February due to an incident with a Chinese spy balloon, which was later shot down over US territory.
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While in Beijing until Monday, Blinken is expected to meet Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, China’s top diplomat Wang Yi and possibly President XI Jinping. Blinken seeks to build open channels of communication to ensure strategic competition between the two countries does not develop into conflict.
There are hopes Blinken’s visit to China will pave the way for more bilateral meetings in the coming months, including possible trips by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. As well as being able to arrange a meeting between President Xi Jinping and Biden at the multilateral summit at the end of the year.
On Saturday, Biden said he hoped to meet President Xi Jinping in the next few months.
Previously, Biden and Xi Jinping met in Bali, Indonesia in November at the G20 event. The two leaders’ meeting briefly eased fears of a new Cold War, but after the alleged flight of a Chinese spy balloon over the United States, high-level communication was rare.
Relations between the two countries have soured, raising fears that they may one day clash militarily over the self-ruled island of Taiwan, which China claims as its own. They also clash over issues ranging from trade, US efforts to contain China’s semiconductor industry, and Beijing’s human rights record.
Earlier at a press conference on Friday before leaving for Beijing, Blinken said his trip had three main objectives, namely setting up a mechanism for crisis management, advancing US and allied interests and speaking directly on related issues, and exploring potential areas of cooperation.
“If we want to make sure, as we did, that the competition that we have with China doesn’t lead to conflict, the place you start is with communication,” Blinken said.
He said he would also raise the issue of US citizens being detained in China on charges Washington says are politically motivated.
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2023-06-18 14:28:18
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