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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to China this week after serious diplomatic tensions between Washington and Beijing. The State Department in Washington announced on Wednesday that Blinken will leave for Beijing on Friday. The minister is making up for a long-planned trip he canceled at the last minute in early February over allegations of espionage against China.
Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang has blamed the US for “new difficulties and challenges” in relations between the two countries. “It is clear who is responsible,” Qin said, according to a transcript of a telephone conversation with his US counterpart Antony Blinken, published by the foreign ministry in Beijing on Wednesday. Blinken himself explained in the online service Twitter that he had discussed the “ongoing efforts” to open communication channels, as well as bilateral and global issues with Qin.
Relations between Washington and Beijing have deteriorated significantly in recent years over trade, human rights issues, relations with Taiwan and a host of other issues.
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Blinken stressed the importance of keeping lines of communication open to avoid conflict. The Secretary of State made it clear that the United States would continue to use diplomatic dialogue “to raise problem areas and potential areas of cooperation.”
Blinken’s visit to Beijing is the first visit by a US secretary of state since his predecessor Mike Pompeo’s trip to China in October 2018. Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping met ahead of the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, and explained the tensions between the US and China want to dismantle.
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
