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China: On the final day of a trip to Beijing intended to improve badly strained relations, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with China’s top envoy and began negotiations.
The senior US official met with Foreign Minister Qin Gang for an extended period of time on Sunday—more than seven and a half hours—and both parties came to an understanding that they should continue to communicate in order to avoid a full-scale war.
Both parties have not confirmed a meeting between Blinken and Xi, China’s most powerful leader in decades, whose meeting with President Joe Biden in Bali in November generated cautious optimism for a diplomatic thaw.
But diplomats believe a meeting with Xi is likely.
Blinken began the day by seeing Wang Yi, China’s top diplomat, who holds a status higher than that of foreign minister inside the Communist Party.
Returning to the elaborate state guesthouse in the historic Diaoyutai gardens where the talks on Sunday were held, Blinken and Wang greeted each other politely in front of the cameras and exchanged pleasantries before meeting with their assistants, who, in contrast to their bosses, were dressed in masks in accordance with Covid-19 protocols.
In recent years, tensions between the two greatest economies in the world have risen dramatically over a variety of topics, including trade, technology, and Taiwan.
US officials said they do not anticipate significant progress from Blinken’s meetings, but they do aim to reopen regular channels of communication to stop errors from turning violent.
On Sunday, it was confirmed by both nations that Qin had accepted a proposal to visit Washington once more in the future.
“A real discussion”
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller described the discussions as “honest, substantial, and productive” on Sunday.
According to Miller, Blinken emphasised “the importance of diplomacy and maintaining open channels of communication across the full spectrum of issues to reduce the risk of misperception and miscalculation.”
During the negotiations at the historic gardens, Qin stated, “This is not in line with the fundamental interests of the two peoples, nor does it satisfy the expectations of the international community.”
But he also sent a warning to Beijing, which has twice since August conducted live-fire military drills close to Taiwan, the self-governing democracy Beijing claims, in response to measures taken by top US senators.
The Taiwan issue, according to Qin, “is the core of China’s core interests, the most significant issue in China-US relations, and the most obvious risk.”
Under the condition of anonymity, a senior US official claimed that the discussions extended beyond the typical talking points, including those pertaining to Taiwan.
This was a genuine dialogue, he declared.
When meeting Bill Gates, a former software billionaire turned philanthropist, Xi struck a pacifying tone last week.
Xi reportedly said to Gates in Beijing, “You are the first American friend I have met in Beijing this year,” as reported by the government-run People’s Daily.
He continued, “We have always placed our expectations in the American people and hoped for lasting friendship between the two peoples.
