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| Antony Blinken and Qin Gang Image Credit: Google |
United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken has embarked on a high-level two days trip to China where he met his counterpart Qin Gang in Beijing, marking the first visit by a US official in nearly five years.
The objective of the visit is to stabilize the
bilateral ties between the two powers, which have been strained in recent
times.
Despite their differences on various issues, both
countries have expressed hopes of improving communication, although expectations
for significant breakthroughs remain low.
The Spy Balloon Incident:
Blinken's trip was initially scheduled for February
but was delayed due to the discovery of a suspected spy balloon above the US.
The incident caused some tension, but US President
Joe Biden downplayed it, stating that he believed it to be more embarrassing
than intentional.
Biden expressed his desire to meet with Chinese
President Xi Jinping again to discuss differences and find areas of common
ground.
“I’m hoping that, over the next several months,
I’ll be meeting with Xi again and talking about legitimate differences we have
but also how there’s areas we can get along,” Biden said.
Both the leaders are expected to meet in the side-lines
of upcoming G20 summit schedule in September at New Delhi, and Xi has been
invited to travel to San Francisco in November when the US hosts leaders from
the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) grouping.
Efforts to Improve Communication:
During the visit, Blinken is expected to meet with
top Chinese officials and attend a banquet at the state guesthouse in the
Diaoyutai gardens.
A phone call between Blinken and his Chinese
counterpart Qin Gang highlighted the heightened tensions between the two countries.
Beijing is seeking assurances from the US;
a. that it will respect China's domestic affairs and,
b. Chinese core interests, particularly regarding Taiwan.
Low Expectations for Breakthrough:
While expectations for significant breakthroughs
from the visit are low, the visit itself holds significance.
China's neighboring countries are concerned about
the deteriorating relationship between the US and China and the potential for
escalating tensions.
There is a fear that these tensions could lead to
open conflict.
Military clashes over Taiwan and disagreements on
trade, China's semiconductor industry, and human rights records are among the
factors contributing to the strained relations.
Objectives of Blinken's Trip:
Blinken outlined three main objectives for his
trip.
Firstly:
He aims to establish crisis management mechanisms
between the US and China.
Secondly:
He intends to advance the interests of the US and
its allies while addressing concerns.
Thirdly:
He seeks to explore areas of potential cooperation
to prevent competition from escalating into conflict.
Effective communication is seen as the starting
point for avoiding conflicts.
Engagement with Allies:
Prior to his visit, Blinken engaged with US allies
to keep them informed and involved.
He spoke with his counterparts from Japan and South
Korea during his journey and focused on maintaining close relations with these
countries.
Additionally, US National Security Advisor Jake
Sullivan traveled to Tokyo for separate meetings involving Japan, South Korea,
and the Philippines.
The US has recently reached agreements on troop
deployments in strategic locations near Taiwan.
Singapore's Perspective:
Blinken also met with the foreign minister of
Singapore, a US ally, before departing for China.
Singapore expressed its hope that the US would
continue to be a significant power while finding ways to coexist with a rising
China.
Blinken’s “trip is essential, but not sufficient”,
Singapore’s foreign minister Vivian Balakrishnan was quoted by Al-Jazeera as
saying.
The foreign minister emphasized the need for mutual
respect and strategic trust to be built over time.
Although there are fundamental differences in
outlook and values between the US and China.
Lastly:
Antony Blinken's visit to China as the US Secretary
of State is aimed at stabilizing the bilateral ties between the two countries.
While tensions and disagreements exist on various
fronts, both China and the US have expressed cautious optimism about improving
communication.
The visit holds significance in preventing the
escalation of tensions and potential conflicts.
Efforts to establish crisis management mechanisms,
advance mutual interests, and explore areas of cooperation will be key elements
of Blinken's discussions during his visit.
(Courtesy: Al-Jazeera)
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