{"id":15994,"date":"2023-06-19T07:52:58","date_gmt":"2023-06-19T04:52:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/?p=15994"},"modified":"2023-06-19T18:47:08","modified_gmt":"2023-06-19T15:47:08","slug":"us-secretary-of-state-blinken-makes-rare-visit-to-china-to-mend-frosty-ties","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/us-secretary-of-state-blinken-makes-rare-visit-to-china-to-mend-frosty-ties\/","title":{"rendered":"US Secretary of State Blinken makes rare visit to China to mend frosty ties"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>The United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Beijing on June 18, 2023, to conduct the highest level of diplomatic engagement with China in five years. Blinken held meetings with the top Chinese leadership during his two-day visit.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the final hours of his visit to Beijing, the U.S. Secretary of State Blinken met with Chinese President Xi Jinping. During the meeting, the two sides agreed to <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/IRIA_Research\/status\/1670758538434727936\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><span style=\"color:#ac0707\" class=\"has-inline-color\">stabilize their relationship<\/span><\/a> and avoid any potential conflicts. Following the conversation with the Chinese leader, Blinken said that \u201cdirect engagement and sustained communication at senior levels is the best way to manage our differences and ensure that competition does not veer into conflict\u201d. Blinken added that he heard the same from Chinese counterparts. \u201cWe both agree on the need to stabilize our relationship.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In his opening remarks, President Xi said: \u201cState-to-state interactions should always be based on mutual respect and sincerity. I hope that through this visit, Secretary Blinken, you will make more positive contributions to stabilizing China-U.S. relations.\u201d The Chinese president emphasized the importance of upholding the shared understanding reached in Bali between him and U.S. President Joe Biden. He urged the translation of positive statements into tangible actions to stabilize and enhance China-U.S. relations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Chinese President Xi Jinping meets US Secretary of State Blinken in Beijing in a meeting aimed at lowering tensions between the world\u2019s two largest economies <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/1iQ0ZinpNh\">pic.twitter.com\/1iQ0ZinpNh<\/a><\/p>\u2014 IRIA (@IRIA_Research) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/IRIA_Research\/status\/1670757310581592064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 19, 2023<\/a><\/blockquote> <script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><br>\n\n\n\n<p>The 35-minute meeting signaled that both the United States and China intend to avoid defining their relationship through hostility. They acknowledge the significant implications of their rivalry and diplomatic endeavors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\u201cCandid and constructive discussions\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Blinken had \u201ccandid, substantive, and constructive discussions\u201d in separate meetings with President Xi Jinping, China\u2019s top foreign policy official Wang Yi and Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the U.S. State Department, \u201cBlinken held candid, substantive, and constructive talks today with the People\u2019s Republic of China (PRC) State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang in Beijing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The State Department statement said that Blinken \u201cemphasized the importance of diplomacy and maintaining open channels of communication across the full range of issues to reduce the risk of misperception and miscalculation.\u201c<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During the five-and-a-half-hour-long meeting, followed by a dinner, the U.S. secretary of state invited Qin Gang to Washington. The U.S. State Department Spokesperson Matt Miller said that Blinken invited the Chinese foreign minister and the two &#8220;agreed to schedule a reciprocal visit at a mutually suitable time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Today, I met with People\u2019s Republic of China State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang in Beijing and discussed how we can responsibly manage the relationship between our two countries through open channels of communication. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/dPkd0aWQ5J\">pic.twitter.com\/dPkd0aWQ5J<\/a><\/p>\u2014 Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SecBlinken\/status\/1670463674471915520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 18, 2023<\/a><\/blockquote> <script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The State Department highlighted that Blinken made clear that the United States will always stand up for the interests and values of the American people and work with its allies and partners to advance the vision for a world that is free, open, and upholds the international rules-based order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Chinese Foreign Minister Qin told Blinken that China is committed to building a \u201cstable, predictable, and constructive\u201d relationship with the United States. Qin also stated China\u2019s concerns regarding its core interests, especially on the Taiwan issue. He said that the interference in Taiwan is the&nbsp;\u201cmost prominent risk\u201d&nbsp;in Sino-U.S. relations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>China\u2019s state-owned news agency Xinhua reported that &#8220;Qin pointed out that the Taiwan question is the core of China&#8217;s core interests, the most consequential issue and the most pronounced risk in the China-U.S. relationship.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/US-China-foreign-ministers-meeting-Beijing.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1016\" height=\"550\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/US-China-foreign-ministers-meeting-Beijing.jpg?resize=1016%2C550&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15989\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/US-China-foreign-ministers-meeting-Beijing.jpg?resize=1024%2C554&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/US-China-foreign-ministers-meeting-Beijing.jpg?resize=300%2C162&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/US-China-foreign-ministers-meeting-Beijing.jpg?resize=768%2C415&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/US-China-foreign-ministers-meeting-Beijing.jpg?w=1110&amp;ssl=1 1110w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1016px) 100vw, 1016px\" \/><\/a><figcaption><em><sup>Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang meets with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Beijing, China, on June 18, 2023. (Image Credit: Twitter\/CGTN)<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>On the final day of his high-profile visit, Secretary Blinken met with the Director of the Office of China\u2019s&nbsp;<span style=\"color:#ac0707\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Central_Foreign_Affairs_Commission\" target=\"_blank\">Central Foreign Affairs Commission<\/a><\/span> Wang Yi. The seasoned diplomats shook hands in Beijing\u2019s Diaoyutai State Guesthouse&nbsp;as they moved with their delegations to conduct bilateral meetings. No remarks were exchanged by the two sides before the meeting started in private.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>U.S.-China ties<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Originally scheduled in February 2023, Blinken\u2019s visit to China was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/us-top-diplomat-cancels-trip-to-china-over-spy-balloon-controversy\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"13692\"><span style=\"color:#ac0707\" class=\"has-inline-color\">postponed after an alleged Chinese spy balloon<\/span><\/a> was found flying over sensitive sites in the United States. Washington gave a strong reaction to the move and canceled Blinken\u2019s trip to China in the eleventh hour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Soon after canceling his trip, Blinken spoke to China\u2019s top foreign policy official Wang Yi and raised security concerns. In response, Wang Yi said that China \u201chas always strictly followed international law, we do not accept any groundless speculation and hype. Faced with unexpected situations, both parties need to keep calm, communicate in a timely manner, avoid misjudgments, and manage differences.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The world\u2019s two largest economies are locked in a strategic rivalry in all fields ranging from trade, regional security to technology. Blinken\u2019s trip to Beijing marks a major breakthrough in defrosting the diplomatic relations between the two countries. However, some observers are skeptical that the trip would result in any substantial progress in resolving the long-standing issues between Washington and Beijing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Beijing on June 18, 2023, to conduct the highest level of diplomatic engagement with China in five years. Blinken held meetings with the top Chinese leadership including Chinese President Xi Jinping during his two-day visit.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15990,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[124,1,125],"tags":[137,380,45,208,113,169,7],"class_list":["post-15994","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-asia-pacific","category-news","category-united-states","tag-asia","tag-asia-pacific","tag-china","tag-diplomacy","tag-security","tag-taiwan","tag-u-s"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/US-Blinken-China-Qin-Gang-meeting.jpg?fit=690%2C370&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7jJWb-49Y","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15994","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15994"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15994\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16012,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15994\/revisions\/16012"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15990"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15994"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15994"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15994"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}