Blinken to Pay Long-awaited China Visit on February 5-6

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will go to Beijing on February 5-6, a US official mentioned Tuesday, confirming a long-awaited journey geared toward preserving excessive tensions in test between the world’s two largest economies.

The official, talking on situation of anonymity, mentioned Blinken would arrive within the Chinese capital on February 5 and in addition maintain talks the next day, going forward with the go to regardless of mounting concern about Covid-19 circumstances in China.

The two sides haven’t given particulars on his itinerary however Blinken is predicted to meet Foreign Minister Qin Gang, till not too long ago China’s ambassador in Washington, and probably President Xi Jinping.

Blinken would be the first US secretary of state to go to China since October 2018 when his Republican predecessor Mike Pompeo, recognized for his blistering criticism of Beijing, made a quick cease following talks with North Korean chief Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang.

Blinken’s journey was introduced with none dates in November when Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping met in Bali on the sidelines of a Group of 20 summit, with each leaders voicing guarded hope at stopping disagreements from spiraling uncontrolled.

In Beijing, Chinese international ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin welcomed the go to and mentioned he hoped Blinken would observe the trail of the Xi-Biden assembly and assist “push China-US relations again on the monitor of wholesome and steady growth.”

Tensions soared in August as China staged war games near Taiwan, which it claims, following a defiant visit to the self-governing democracy by Nancy Pelosi, then the speaker of the US House of Representatives.

Blinken has previously warned that China may be stepping up its timeframe for considering an invasion of Taiwan.

Meeting last week with the foreign and defense ministers of close US ally Japan, Blinken said his trip to China aimed in part to keep open channels of communication.

“What we don’t want is for any misunderstanding to veer into conflict,” Blinken mentioned.

Blinken mentioned that the Biden administration was dedicated to establishing “guardrails” on tensions so as to “manage this relationship responsibly,” together with discovering potential areas of cooperation similar to local weather change and international well being.

“We’re not on the lookout for battle. We’ll handle the competitors responsibly, however we are going to compete vigorously,” Blinken said.

Biden, like his predecessor Donald Trump, has described China as the only long-term competitor to US leadership in the world and has sought to orient US foreign policy around this challenge.

But unlike with Russia, which has been shunned by the United States since its invaded Ukraine, the Biden administration has sought to maintain dialogue with China — and has trumpeted what it sees as Beijing’s unease with Moscow’s war, including through China’s decision not to supply weapons.

Few expect major breakthroughs during Blinken’s visit on key points of friction.

Chief among them for China is the US decision in October to restrict access to high-end semiconductors, which Beijing has denounced as protectionism and taken to the World Trade Organization.

The United States argues that the chips have dual civilian and military use and can help the modernization both of the Chinese military and semiconductor industry.

US experts fear China will seek dominance in semiconductors used in basic electronics and may eventually exclude other nations. The global leader in high-end chips is now Taiwan, which hopes its indispensability in technology will encourage other nations to protect its security.

Blinken’s trip will also be the first by a top US official to China since Washington accused the communist leadership of carrying out genocide against the mostly Muslim Uyghur people, a charge rejected by Beijing.

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(This story has not been edited by News18 employees and is revealed from a syndicated information company feed)