Washinton– US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held critical meetings with senior Chinese officials, with little sign of either side willing to yield on their hardened positions, leading to heightened tensions. Blinken met with China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, and a meeting with President Xi Jinping was possible. The initial round of talks lasted nearly six hours between Blinken and Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, resulting in an agreement to continue high-level discussions. However, the most contentious issues between the two nations remained unresolved.
China accepted Blinken’s invitation for Qin to visit Washington but emphasized that the bilateral relationship was at its lowest since its establishment. The US State Department stressed the importance of diplomacy and open communication channels. At the same time, China stated that the current state of relations did not serve their fundamental interests or meet international expectations.
Blinken’s visit aimed to lay the groundwork for a future meeting between Biden and Xi, but expectations for breakthroughs needed to be higher. The agenda included trade disputes, Taiwan, human rights, Chinese military assertiveness in the South China Sea, and Russia’s actions in Ukraine. Blinken urged China to release detained Americans and address fentanyl precursor production and export.
Despite intermittent engagements between US and Chinese officials, tensions have persisted, including disagreements over the Taiwan Strait, the Indo-Pacific, Russia’s actions in Ukraine, and allegations of China’s global surveillance efforts. China’s defence minister recently rejected a meeting with the US defence secretary, indicating ongoing discontent. In response, the US, Japan, and the Philippines held joint talks to strengthen defence cooperation, countering China’s influence. The Biden administration’s AUKUS agreement with Australia and the UK, providing Australia with nuclear-powered submarines, coincided with China’s efforts to expand its diplomatic presence in the Indian Ocean and Pacific islands.
Overall, the meetings between Blinken and Chinese officials showcased the limited progress in resolving major disagreements. At the same time, the US and its allies sought to counter China’s growing influence in the region.