US Blinken Visits China, Discusses 'Guardrails' in Talks... Will He Also Meet Xi Jinping? (Comprehensive)

U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken visited China. This is the first visit by a U.S. Secretary of State to China since Mike Pompeo during the Donald Trump administration in October 2018. Amid escalating tensions between the two countries over Taiwan, semiconductors, and other issues, the top diplomats of the U.S. and China met in Beijing to discuss so-called 'guardrails' (safety measures) to prevent their conflicts from escalating into armed clashes. Following his meeting with Wang Yi, a member of the Communist Party Central Political Bureau, Secretary Blinken is also expected to meet with President Xi Jinping.

According to the New York Times (NYT) and others on the 18th (local time), Secretary Blinken held talks with Qin Gang, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister, at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing that afternoon. After publicly showing a handshake in front of both countries' flags, the two sides immediately began their talks. The usual opening remarks before the meeting were also omitted. Considering the escalating U.S.-China tensions over key issues such as the reconnaissance balloon incident earlier this year, Taiwan, and semiconductors, both sides appeared to avoid public diplomatic rhetoric. The meeting, attended by eight key officials from each side's diplomatic team, lasted 5 hours and 30 minutes?an hour longer than scheduled?and transitioned into a working dinner around 8:25 p.m.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

High-Level U.S.-China Talks... Prioritizing Guardrails Discussion and Restoring Communication

This is the first visit by a U.S. Secretary of State to China in about five years. It is also the first face-to-face meeting between Secretary Blinken and Minister Qin. As a result, global attention is focused on whether this high-level meeting will find a way to improve the deteriorating bilateral relations. Secretary Blinken was originally scheduled to visit China in early February, but the visit was indefinitely postponed after a Chinese reconnaissance balloon entered U.S. airspace. Subsequently, differences over Taiwan, U.S. semiconductor export controls, and China's retaliations have continued to escalate tensions between the two countries.

The two foreign ministers prioritized restoring high-level U.S.-China communication to ease rising tensions during this meeting. They exchanged views on their respective positions and mutual 'red lines' regarding key issues such as the escalating tensions in the Taiwan Strait and discussed guardrails to prevent clashes. The Washington Post (WP) analyzed, "The very fact that this visit took place shows a mutual recognition that U.S.-China relations cannot be ignored."

A spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed hope on Twitter, along with a photo of the handshake between the two foreign ministers, saying, "We hope this meeting will help restore China-U.S. relations to the level agreed upon in Bali." Before departing for China, Secretary Blinken explained the significance of his visit, stating, "Sustained diplomacy is necessary to prevent fierce competition from escalating into confrontation or conflict," and "This trip aims to continue implementing the agreement reached between President Biden and President Xi in Bali at the end of last year."

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

"Fundamental Differences in Positions" Clear Divergence

However, fundamental differences in positions regarding the restoration of communication were also confirmed. Unlike the U.S., which emphasizes the importance of continuous communication, China stresses that the U.S. must first halt its hostile policies toward China, including decoupling. This explains why expectations on both sides were not very high even before this visit, as confirmed through public statements. Amanda Xiao, Senior China Analyst at the International Crisis Group, told Axios, "The fundamental issue is that they have different visions." She added, "The U.S. seeks to reduce the risk of competitive conflict by setting clearer guardrails and identifying areas for cooperation," but "China does not want this; it wants to clarify the risks involved," reflecting the atmosphere.

Local media are paying attention to the fact that the U.S. is shifting from 'decoupling'?excluding China from critical industrial supply chains?to 'derisking,' and that China may need to resume economic exchanges with the U.S. to achieve President Xi's third term goals amid growing concerns about economic slowdown. Regarding derisking, it is reported that clear differences in positions were confirmed during this meeting as well. The Chinese side reportedly reiterated that the U.S.'s current approach is pushing bilateral relations toward confrontation and emphasized that the U.S. must show changed behavior first in this regard.

Additionally, the NYT analyzed that security-related discussions likely took up a significant portion of the meeting. The outlet reported, "U.S. officials are closely monitoring China's efforts to build military bases across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East," and "China is expected to accuse the U.S. of provoking conflict by strengthening security alliances with Asia-Pacific countries including Japan, South Korea, Australia, and India." Furthermore, it is reported that the U.S. reiterated its warning that China should not supply lethal weapons to Russia in relation to the Ukraine war.

Will Blinken Meet Xi Jinping?

On the final day of his visit to China, the 19th, Secretary Blinken is scheduled to meet with Wang Yi. There are also expectations that he may pay a courtesy call on President Xi. The Associated Press (AP) reported, "There is a possibility that Secretary Blinken will meet with President Xi on the 19th." Former Secretary Pompeo also met President Xi during his visit to China in 2018.

If Secretary Blinken meets President Xi, it is expected that discussions will take place regarding the possibility of a second U.S.-China summit coinciding with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit to be held in San Francisco, California, in November. The day before, President Joe Biden said, "I hope to meet with President Xi again within the next few months to discuss legitimate differences between our countries and how we can get along well."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.