US Secretary of State After China Visit: "Expect Biden-Xi Jinping Meeting Within Months"

Tony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State, who completed his visit to China, expressed hope that a face-to-face meeting between President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping will take place within the next few months.

After finishing his two-day trip to China and arriving in the United Kingdom, Secretary Blinken appeared on ABC News on the 20th (local time). When asked whether he expects a face-to-face summit between the U.S. and Chinese leaders within a few months, he responded, "Ultimately, nothing can replace the 'leader-to-leader' relationship between President Biden and Chairman Xi."

Secretary Blinken described his visit to China as a "process," explaining, "In the coming weeks and months, we will see more high-level contacts and engagement." As the first U.S. Secretary of State in five years to visit China, he met sequentially with State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang on the 18th, Wang Yi, member of the Communist Party Central Political Bureau, on the 19th, and President Xi Jinping. Notably, during the meeting with his Chinese counterpart Qin Gang, he invited him to Washington, D.C., and received a positive response. Furthermore, the previously unannounced meeting with President Xi was arranged, leading to analyses that this occasion could serve as the foundation for a U.S.-China summit.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

Secretary Blinken emphasized the critical importance of dialogue between the U.S. and Chinese leaders. He stated, "President Biden has known Chairman Xi for years. During his vice presidency in the Obama administration, he spent a lot of time with Chairman Xi," adding, "This is an existing relationship, but it is important that they engage directly."

Given President Biden's recent statement expressing hope to meet Chairman Xi again within a few months, there is speculation that the two leaders might hold talks during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit scheduled for November in San Francisco, California. Prior to the summit, as Secretary Blinken explained, visits to the U.S. by Qin Gang, and to China by U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, are expected to take place.

Secretary Blinken expressed hope that his visit to China would mark "the beginning of a more stable relationship between the two countries." He explained, "We had beneficial, candid, and very detailed conversations about areas where we have significant differences and areas where we can cooperate." He also stated, "President Biden strongly feels that both the U.S. and China have a responsibility to manage the relationship responsibly," defining this visit as one focused on reestablishing high-level communication channels, discussing substantive differences on many issues, and identifying areas of mutually beneficial cooperation.

Meanwhile, Secretary Blinken announced that he will unveil strong new support measures at the Ukraine Reconstruction Conference held in London, UK, over two days starting on the 21st. Co-hosted by Ukraine and the UK government, the reconstruction conference will be attended by about 1,000 participants, including foreign ministers and diplomatic officials from over 60 countries, as well as business leaders and investors.

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