U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken embarked on his second visit to China in less than a year, signaling a continued effort to strengthen Beijing-Washington relations. This trip is part of the ongoing initiatives to implement the common understandings reached during the two leaders' meeting in San Francisco last year.
Since the San Francisco summit, there has been a series of engagements between China and the U.S. across various sectors, including foreign affairs, economy, climate change, agriculture, law enforcement, and more. Blinken's visit follows closely after U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen's trip to China in April, highlighting the sustained dialogue between the two nations. Additionally, military-to-military dialogues have been resumed, underscoring the multifaceted nature of the relationship.
Dialogue remains vital in establishing mutual understandings and preventing misjudgments or miscalculations. However, despite these diplomatic efforts, there are indications of underlying tensions. For instance, hours before Blinken's arrival in China, the U.S. Senate passed the Indo-Pacific Security Supplemental bill, directing $8 billion to support Taiwan authorities and the broader Indo-Pacific region in countering China's influence. Furthermore, in a move that disregards China's calls for fair competition, President Joe Biden signed a bill requiring TikTok's China-based parent company to sell its U.S. operations within 270 days or face a ban.
These actions suggest a complex dynamic where diplomatic engagements coexist with policy decisions that may challenge the very relationships they aim to strengthen. As Blinken works to build on the dialogue established over the past year, the path forward for Beijing and Washington remains one of both cooperation and contention.
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China welcomes Blinken, but anticipates real goodwill actions
cgtn.com
