U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to visit the Chinese mainland this week, following high-level visits agreed upon by U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese Premier Xi Jinping during their meeting in San Francisco last November. While a warm welcome awaits Secretary Blinken, the discussions are expected to be tense due to recent U.S. measures.
High-level exchanges are designed not to celebrate agreements but to address major controversies and prevent conflicts. The key question is whether Secretary Blinken's talks will help alleviate the current tensions.
In the wake of U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen's recent five-day visit to the Chinese mainland, President Biden has threatened new tariffs on Chinese steel, and the U.S. trade office has initiated a probe into Chinese shipbuilding. Additionally, President Biden hosted the first trilateral summit between the U.S., Japan, and the Philippines in April, laying the groundwork for military cooperation intended to counterbalance Chinese influence in the region. The U.S. has also threatened to deploy medium-range missiles in the Philippines that could target the Chinese mainland.
These developments have heightened tensions, but discussions with the U.S.' top diplomat may help mitigate these strains if addressing these issues is prioritized.
Furthermore, the U.S. has been pressuring the relationship between the Chinese mainland and Russia. At the recent G7 Foreign Ministers' meeting in Capri, Blinken urged other G7 ministers to increase pressure on their Chinese counterparts to reduce significant trade with Russia, even threatening sanctions on companies supplying vital equipment. These discussions do not focus on military items but rather on machinery that can support both household appliances and military tanks. It remains to be seen if Blinken will steer clear of making this a central theme during his Beijing visit.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
