BEIJING, June 19 — China’s top foreign policy official Wang Yi and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met in Beijing on Monday, the second day of Blinken’s official visit to China, reported German news agency dpa.
Wang ranks above China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang in Beijing’s power hierarchy. Blinken’s visit is the first by a US secretary of state to China since 2018, and it comes amid heightened tensions between the rival powers.
On Sunday, Blinken spoke with Qin for seven and a half hours – much longer than planned. During their meeting, Blinken reiterated that the United States pursues a “vision for a world that is free, open, and upholds the international rules-based order.”
Blinken also invited Qin to Washington. Both sides said the talks had been frank and constructive.
There is speculation that Blinken could meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping later on Monday, but so far there has been no confirmation from Beijing. If the meeting materialises, it would be seen as a special gesture by the Beijing government.
During his first visit to China as the US top diplomat, Blinken has addressed a number of contentious issues, but also areas in which Beijing and Washington could cooperate, the US State Department said.
The US and China have one of the world’s most important bilateral relationships.
Those ties have been severely strained by a raft of issues, including China’s backing of Russia’s war in Ukraine, threats from Beijing against Taiwan, and ongoing trade disputes in areas like advanced computer chips.
Meanwhile Sputnik reported that the ambiguity surrounding Blinken’s visit to Beijing and his talks with Chinese officials there suggests that little progress has been made in terms of Washington’s agenda, quoting Politico.
It took the Biden administration almost six months to put this visit back on the schedule as it was originally set for February.
Politico reported on Sunday that the ambiguity following the talks indicates little substantive progress on Blinken’s agenda items, which include concerns over Taiwan, jailed US citizens in China, and Beijing’s stance on Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine.
Politico said that Blinken and Qin Gang “are inching toward an off-ramp from months of rancour” but Beijing maintains its “stern” stance on key issues.
Blinken’s Monday schedule published by the State Department does not include a meeting with Xi.
