Secretary Blinken holds extensive talks with Chinese counterpart
Beijing: On a mission to cool soaring bilateral tensions, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday held extensive talks with his Chinese counterpart Qin Gang on a range of issues, including the Taiwan issue and the Ukraine war.
Blinken arrived here this morning and held an extended round of talks with Qin, besides attending a state dinner.
Blinken’s two-day visit to Beijing comes ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to Washington and his meeting with US President Joe Biden on June 22.
The talks are expected to include deepening defence cooperation and firming up the Quad alliance of the US, India, Australia and Japan, which China alleges is aimed at containing it.
Ahead of Blinken’s visit to Beijing, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said the US expects a “transformational moment” in
Indian ties during Modi’s visit to Washington and played down the US Secretary of State’s visit to Beijing.
“Secretary Blinken’s trip to China will be a significant event, but it’s likely not even the most significant event of next week when it comes to US foreign policy,” Sullivan told reporters in Tokyo on June 16.
Blinken’s visit was largely seen as an attempt to keep the communication channels open between Washington and Beijing so that bilateral relations can be responsibly managed’.
Analysts say the visit signals a desire by both sides to restore engagement but cast doubt on the prospects of a breakthrough, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported.
Both sides are yet to comment on the talks.
Before leaving for Beijing on Saturday, Blinken said one of his goals was to set up “open and empowered communications” with Chinese officials.
He said he would also speak “directly and candidly about (the US’) very real concerns on a range of issues”.
“Intense competition requires sustained diplomacy to ensure that competition does not veer into confrontation or conflict,” he said.
Blinken is the most senior official from the Biden administration to have travelled to Beijing.
