US Secretary of State will stay in China until Monday (June 19); purpose of the visit is to reduce tensions between the countries
The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, landed in Beijing this Sunday (June 18, 2023) for a official trip 2 days to the country.
Blinken is the 1st US Secretary of State to visit China in 5 years. He was supposed to go to the country in February this year, but postponed the visit after a chinese balloon flew over the North American territory.
The trip is aimed at trying to reduce tensions between nations. In Publication On Twitter, the spokesman for the US Department of State, Matthew Miller, stated that the relationship of both “is one of the most complex and consequential”.
“It is important that we maintain communication between our countries”he said.
In the Chinese capital, Blinken met Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang at the state guest house in Diaoyutai for his first official engagement. The venue is traditionally used by Chinese leaders to welcome foreign guests.
According to the spokesman of the US Department of State, Blinken “emphasized the importance of diplomacy and maintaining channels of communication” between the US and China “to reduce the risk of misperceptions and miscalculations”. The American also invited Qin on a visit to Washington DC.
“Secretary of State and Foreign Minister Qin also noted the importance of facilitating exchanges between the people of the United States and China”Miller said in announcement.
On her Twitter account, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying stated hope the meeting helped “to drive China-US relations back to what the 2 presidents agreed in Bali”.
The statement refers to the meeting of Presidents Joe Biden (USA) and Xi Jinping (China) held on November 14, 2022 in Bali, Indonesia. On the occasion, the leaders promised a “ongoing and honest dialogue”.
Blinken and Qin’s agenda is realized after the Chinese minister called the US secretary on Wednesday (June 14). At the phone callthe Chinese foreign minister asked the US to “stop undermining China’s sovereignty, security and development interests in the name of competition”.
Qin also pointed out in the call that since the beginning of this year, China-US relations have encountered new difficulties and challenges. “It is very clear who is to blame”said the Chinese minister, according to announcement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China about the conversation.
BLINKEN IN CHINA
The US Secretary of State will also meet with the Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs, Qin Gang, on Monday (June 19).
Blinken will also have talks with the Chinese diplomat and director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs of the Chinese Communist Party, Wang Yi. There are expectations that the American will have a meeting with the president of China, Xi Jinping.
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