Secretary of State Blinken boarded a plane at Andrews Air Force Base to go to China on April 23 (Photo: AP).
Secretary of State Blinken arrived in Shanghai just a few hours after the US Congress passed a foreign aid bill, including aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan at a time when Mr. Lai Thanh Duc was preparing to take office as leader. this island.
According to officials, this move demonstrates America’s determination to protect allies and partners.
The bill recently passed by the US House of Representatives also requires Chinese company ByteDance to sell the TikTok social network or be banned in the US.
Passage of the bill will add further complexity to the already tense relationship between the US and China due to disagreements over global and regional disputes.
According to experts, this visit to China by Secretary of State Blinken is the latest high-level contact between the two countries, aimed at easing the tension that brought bilateral relations to a historic low early last year.
Both have not yet made much progress in controlling the supply of chemicals to make fentanyl from China. Taiwan remains a hot spot, and the two sides are tense over China’s support of Russia in the conflict in Ukraine.
However, the fact that Secretary of State Blinken made the trip, following talks between US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping and a phone call between the bilateral Defense Ministers, is a sign that at least The two sides were ready to discuss their differences.
Sources said that the topics Mr. Blinken will discuss include the crisis in the Middle East, the war situation between Russia and Ukraine, and issues related to the Taiwan Strait and the East Sea.
Secretary of State Blinken will also seek China’s cooperation to reduce tensions in the Middle East amid reciprocal attacks by Israel and Iran.
The head of US diplomacy will also discuss the roadmap on three main issues agreed by President Biden and President Xi in their talks in November 2023, including cooperation on anti-drugs and communication channels. communication between the two countries’ militaries and artificial intelligence (AI).
Prioritizing economic cooperation was also emphasized by Mr. Blinken during this trip. In Shanghai this time, Mr. Blinken met with business leaders before going to Beijing to hold talks with his counterpart Wang Yi on April 26 and potentially meet President Xi Jinping.
Mr. Blinken will also urge China to block companies from supplying dual-use items, which could help Russia develop its defense industry.
Meanwhile, China’s top concern is the foreign aid bill that the US Congress just passed, including aid to Taiwan and controversies related to TikTok.
