Secretary Blinken and his Chinese counterpart held a meeting in Beijing.
Blinken is scheduled to meet with senior Chinese government officials, with whom he will also discuss issues of bilateral interest, global and regional affairs.
The Chinese Foreign Minister and the U.S. Secretary of State, Qin Gang and Antony Blinken, held a meeting that marks the beginning of the visit of the U.S. official to China, in which both parties will try to solve the tensions that exist between both nations, after the proximity of the United States to Taiwan and the crisis of the alleged Beijing spy balloons.
Secretary Blinken arrived in Beijing on Sunday, becoming the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit China since U.S. President Joe Biden began his term in 2021. During his meeting, Qin pointed out that relations between the two powers do not meet the fundamental interests and common expectations of the international community.
Qin Gang, assured that during a meeting in Beijing with the U.S. Secretary of State, that relations between the two powers are at their lowest point since the establishment of diplomatic relations. “China’s policy toward the United States has always maintained continuity and stability, and is fundamentally guided by the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and cooperation,” the Chinese representative said.
Blinken invited his counterpart to visit the United States, where Qin served as ambassador before being promoted to chancellor in late 2022, and emphasized the importance of diplomacy and maintaining open channels of communication across the board to reduce the risk of miscalculation, regarding U.S. actions on Taiwan and China’s interests on the island.
Blinken is scheduled to meet with senior Chinese government officials, with whom he will also discuss issues of bilateral interest, global and regional issues, and potential cooperation on transnational challenges. The confirmation of Blinken’s trip comes after he held a telephone conversation with his Chinese counterpart, Qin Gang, in which he asked him to “keep the lines of communication open” to avoid a conflict.
Tensions between the two countries began after the Air Force shot down a Chinese balloon, alleging that it was espionage material. That action was not taken with much pleasure by the Chinese authorities, which started a diplomatic crisis between both nations, in addition to the fact that Beijing does not feel comfortable with the US support to Taiwan.
When Quin Gang took office he sent a clear and categorical message to the U.S. authorities, together with President Joe Bien, “Stop intervening in Taiwan now”, and reiterated that the Asian giant will reserve the option of taking appropriate measures if the island declares its independence.
With information from EFE