Following US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s two-day visit to Beijing, the US and China have committed to calming their contentious relationship.
On Monday, Mr. Blinken held discussions with President Xi Jinping of China, resuming high-level engagement between the opposing superpowers.
While Mr. Blinken said that all parties were open to additional discussions, Mr. Xi claimed that they had achieved progress.
However, the top US official made it plain that there were still significant disagreements.
“I stressed that… sustained communication at senior levels is the best way to responsibly manage differences and ensure that competition does not veer into conflict,” Mr. Blinken told reporters after the 35-minute meeting at the Great Hall of the People on Tiananmen Square.
The same was reported by his Chinese colleagues, he claimed. “We both acknowledge the importance of stabilizing our relationship.”
However, Mr. Blinken, 61, asserted that he was “clear-eyed” towards China and that there were “many issues on which we profoundly, even vehemently disagree.”
Following a trade battle under Trump, Beijing’s strong claims over Taiwan, and the shooting down of an alleged Chinese spy balloon over the US earlier this year, relations between Beijing and Washington have deteriorated.
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First high-ranking US diplomat to visit in nearly five years is Mr. Blinken.
The US state department reported that he and Mr. Xi spoke on a wide range of topics, including Taiwan, North Korea, and alleged human rights violations by China, as well as the conflict in Ukraine involving Russia and the fentanyl epidemic in the US.
Furthermore, Mr. Xi said that although there were no obvious victories, things might be improving.
A copy of his speech, which was made public by the US state department, stated that “the two sides have also made progress and reached agreement on some specific issues.” This is fantastic.
Mr. Blinken just learned about the meeting with Mr. Xi an hour before it began because it was not initially scheduled.
But if it hadn’t happened, it would have been seen as a big insult, especially since Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft, met Mr. Xi in Beijing earlier this week.
Instead, the secretary’s trip, which also included discussions with China’s top diplomat Wang Yi and Foreign Minister Qin Gang, will serve as a successful case study for the United States’ effective reengagement with the Chinese government following months of tense relations.
Officials in Washington, including US Vice President Joe Biden, have stated that they see the Chinese as competitors and rivals rather than as enemies. However, as the competition intensifies on both a military and economic level, it is a narrow line to walk.
By holding the meeting, Mr. Xi was also letting his own people know that his government was corresponding with Washington.
The major point of concern and one with the greatest potential for escalation between the two nations is Taiwan.
China views Taiwan, which is self-governing, as a breakaway province, and Mr. Xi has said he wants to reunite Taiwan with Beijing while he is in power.
Taiwan, on the other hand, perceives itself as distinct from the Chinese mainland, with its own authorities and constitution. In a statement that was denounced by Beijing, US President Joe Biden stated last year that in the case of a Chinese invasion, the US would support Taiwan.
But on Monday, Mr. Blinken emphasized once more that Washington opposes Taiwan’s independence, stating that he was trying to “disabuse” China of the idea that the US is “seeking to economically contain them.”
He claimed that China also provided certain guarantees. It reiterated that it would not provide deadly assistance to Russia for use in Ukraine, but Mr. Blinken expressed concerns about private Chinese enterprises providing military assistance to Russia.
A significant goal of the negotiations was to restore military communication between the two nations, but China rejected the US request.
When Mr. Blinken wrapped up his news conference, he acknowledged that the trip had not produced much progress—as was expected—but expressed hope that it would lead to improved communication in the future.
Progress is challenging. It demands time. And it wasn’t the result of just one visit, one journey, or just one talk,” he added.
