“We have to know how to manage our relationship.” This is the message from President Joe Biden that his Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, has communicated to Xi Jinping, the highest Chinese authority. The host responded with praise for the progress of the talks between the two countries, which take place at a time of maximum tension.
These phrases may seem convenient, but at a time when there is even talk of a cold war between the two nations that control the world, it is no small feat, analysts said. It may be the beginning of a thaw, after this trip was postponed last February due to the discovery that a Chinese spy balloon was flying over US territory.
Bliken arrived in Beijing on Sunday, the most senior American leader to visit the Asian giant in the last five years, specifically since 2018, when his predecessor Mike Pompeo made a similar journey.
The head of diplomacy concludes his visit on Monday. The agenda that the State Department provided on Sunday did not include the meeting with President Xi, who apparently has been considering this meeting until the last moment. Washington advisers have been very cautious in insisting that this journey offered “low expectations” in terms of results.
The greatest aspiration, as Blinken remarked, was to establish a line of communication between the two capitals to avoid “calculation errors”, especially due to the tension in Taiwan, a critical point for Beijing, and in military activity in the South Sea. China, where there has recently been a couple of clashes
In a 35-minute conversation, Xi remarked that the two superpowers “have had a sincere and in-depth discussion” and stressed that state-to-state relations “must always be based on mutual respect and sincerity,” according to a video broadcast on television. China.
“I am hopeful that with this visit, Mr. Secretary, you will make a more positive contribution to stabilizing China-US relations,” said the Chinese leader. “The two sides have already made progress and reached agreements on specific issues and this is very good,” Xi added, without elaborating further or elaborating.
Blinken met with Foreign Minister Qin Gang for more than five hours on Sunday and spoke with Chinese government diplomat Wang Yi on Monday.
“The world needs a general stable relationship between us,” President Xi also said after the meeting with the American guest. He qualified that the two countries can find the right path “to get along because the future of humanity lies in this.”
The head of US diplomacy noted that Biden asked him to travel to Beijing “because he believes that the United States and China have an obligation to maintain a responsible relationship.”
According to Blinken, “The United States is committed to doing that, it is in the interest of my country, China and the world.” He also reiterated his gratitude for having been able to hold this discussion with Xi. “I appreciate this opportunity,” he told his host.
