US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (L) shakes hands with Chinese Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs Wang Yi at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on June 19, 2023. (Photo by Leah MILLIS / POOL / AFP) (Photo by LEAH MILLIS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Leah Millis | Episode | Getty Images
Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday emphasized the need for the US and China to avoid “miscalculations” and “misunderstandings.”
Blinken said in Beijing ahead of a closed-door meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi that there was no substitute for “personal diplomacy.”
Both sides must ensure “that we are as clear as possible about the areas where we have differences, at least to avoid misunderstandings and miscalculations,” he told reporters.
His latest trip to China comes as the two countries try to stabilize ties in their strained relations as they battle for technology supremacy, as well as economic and political dominance.
In his remarks, Wang told Blinken that US-China relations are “beginning to stabilize” with greater dialogue and cooperation.
“This is welcomed by our two peoples and the international community,” he said, but warned that “negative factors” are increasing and increasing, causing “all kinds of disruptions.”
“China’s legitimate development rights have been unreasonably suppressed and our core interests are facing challenges,” he said, telling Washington “not to tread on China’s red lines.”
President Joe Biden met his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in San Francisco last year on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference.
In early April, during a phone call with Xi — the first conference call since July 2022 — Biden raised a host of American concerns, according to a White House readout of the call.
Loaded tires
Tensions have been simmering for years, from the trade war to the fallout from the alleged Chinese spy balloon over American airspace. More recently, the US has accused China of supporting Russia’s military efforts in Ukraine.
Ahead of Blinken’s visit, a senior State Department official said the top US diplomat planned to warn Beijing against supporting Russian efforts to rebuild its defense base, which threatens to undermine European security.
On Thursday, Blinken met with Shanghai Communist Party Secretary Chen Jining and “expressed concerns about trade policies and non-market economic practices,” the US State Department said.
He emphasized that “the United States is committed to healthy economic competition” with China and a level playing field for American workers and companies operating in the country, spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement.
This was Blinken’s second trip to China after a high-stakes diplomatic mission to cool tensions between the US and China last June.
It remains unclear whether the Foreign Minister will meet Xi Jinping during this trip.
It is important to demonstrate that “we are engaging responsibly in the most consistent relationship,” Blinken said on Friday.
“I hope that we can make some progress on the issues that our presidents agree we need to work together on, but that we can also clarify our differences and our intentions and make it very clear to each other where we stand.”