US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's Significant Visit to China
Trill News Briefing
The Story
Secretary of State Antony Blinken concluded a high stakes visit to Beijing on June 19, 2023, meeting President Xi Jinping after two days of talks in the first trip by a top US diplomat to China since 2018.
The visit, originally scheduled for February, had been postponed after the US military shot down a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon.
Blinken aimed to stabilize a relationship that a senior Chinese official described as at its lowest point since its establishment, strained by disputes over Taiwan, the South China Sea, and China's support for Russia.
On Taiwan, Blinken reaffirmed the US one China policy and its commitment to Taiwan's self defense capabilities, while Wang Yi insisted China had no room to compromise on reunification.
Blinken said China had committed to not providing lethal aid to Russia for the war in Ukraine, with no evidence observed contradicting that pledge.
The trip produced no breakthrough on restoring severed military communication channels, an effort Blinken called a work in progress.
Both sides still described the talks as candid and constructive, signaling a preference for managed competition over open confrontation even as fundamental disagreements remained unresolved.
The visit, originally scheduled for February, had been postponed after the US military shot down a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon.
Blinken aimed to stabilize a relationship that a senior Chinese official described as at its lowest point since its establishment, strained by disputes over Taiwan, the South China Sea, and China's support for Russia.
On Taiwan, Blinken reaffirmed the US one China policy and its commitment to Taiwan's self defense capabilities, while Wang Yi insisted China had no room to compromise on reunification.
Blinken said China had committed to not providing lethal aid to Russia for the war in Ukraine, with no evidence observed contradicting that pledge.
The trip produced no breakthrough on restoring severed military communication channels, an effort Blinken called a work in progress.
Both sides still described the talks as candid and constructive, signaling a preference for managed competition over open confrontation even as fundamental disagreements remained unresolved.
Why It Matters
The relationship Antony Blinken tried to steady in 2023 now runs on summitry and tariff lists. Xi Jinping made a three day Washington visit in September after hosting Donald Trump in Beijing in May, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the trade truce due to expire November 10 now runs to January 10, Al Jazeera reports. The list of goods recommended for tariff cuts covers $30 billion of each side's imports, yet Hinrich Foundation trade expert Deborah Elms told Al Jazeera the listed goods will bring most US buyers no meaningful relief. Taiwan stays unresolved. The leaders are expected to meet next at the APEC summit in Shenzhen in November.
Go Deeper
Source: CBS News. The reading link is unavailable while we verify free access. Continue with more coverage on Trill News below.
