Antony Blinken To Visit China, Talk With Beijing Officials

State Department announces US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's plans to visit Beijing to meet with top Chinese officials
The American official's planned trip aims to stress the importance of open lines of communication
Blinken also seeks to raise bilateral issues of concern as well as global and regional matters and other issues

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to visit China and meet with top officials in Beijing, where he is expected to stress the importance of having open lines of communication.

The plan was announced by the State Department on Wednesday that included Blinken's planned time to leave, Friday. Furthermore, the American official is expected to raise bilateral issues of concern to top Chinese officials, as well as global and regional matters and potential cooperation on shared transnational challenges.

Antony Blinken Set To Visit China

Blinken's latest planned trip was one that he was forced to reschedule after the cancellation of a visit on the day of his departure in early February. It was the time when a Chinese spy balloon was seen flying over United States territory and caused a political and public uproar, as per the New York Times.

Blinken also plans to meet with top officials in Beijing for two days before traveling to a conference in London that prioritizes the reconstruction of Ukraine. The trip marks the secretary of state's first trip to the Asian nation while holding his current position. Officials from both sides are also working on a planned meeting between him and President Xi Jinping.

The two governments are optimistic that Blinken's visit will result in a series of trips by senior United States officials to China over the summer. The list of American diplomats includes Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, commerce secretary Gina M. Raimondo, and special envoy for Climate John Kerry.

The official visit could pave the way for a trip by Xi to San Francisco in November to attend a leaders summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation group of nations. The Chinese and US governments see high-level diplomacy as a potential anchor in years-long tensions.

Addressing Tensions Between China and the US

Before announcing the latest trip to China, Blinken spoke with the Chinese foreign minister by phone on Wednesday. According to CNN, the conversation with Qin Gang includes talks about responsibly managing relations to prevent any miscalculation and conflict.

On the other hand, China's readout of the talk between the two officials underscored the deep distrust that continues to linger between Beijing and Washington. In a statement, the Chinese foreign minister told Blinken that the US should "show respect" over China's core concerns, such as Taiwan's independence.

United States diplomats' visits to Taiwan, which is democratically governed but is one that Beijing claims to be part of its territory, have exacerbated tensions between the two governments. Qin also said that since the beginning of the year, Sino-U.S. relations have had new difficulties and challenges.

The Chinese foreign minister added that American officials should stop interfering with Beijing's internal affairs. He argued that the US should stop harming China's sovereignty, security, and development interests in the name of competition, said Reuters.