US Secretary of State Antony Blinken Travels to China

Facts

• Following a recent phone call between US Pres. Joe Biden and Chinese Pres. Xi Jinping, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has begun a three-day trip to Shanghai and Beijing in order to meet with Chinese officials.¹
• Blinken's visit comes as the US Senate has approved two bills, one ordering Chinese parent company ByteDance to sell social media platform TikTok, and the other a $95B aid package to support Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan.²
• Last week, the US Department of State announced that Blinken's Apr. 24-26 trip would cover 'a range of bilateral, regional, and global issues,' including conflicts in the Middle East, Ukraine, and the South China Sea.³
• Blinken has also recently described Beijing as 'the primary contributor' to Russia's 'defense industrial base,' adding that 'good relations' with the West were not possible while 'fueling...the biggest threat to European security since the end of the Cold War.'⁴
• Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said Tuesday that 'groundless accusations' over 'normal' relations between China and Russia were 'hypocritical and highly irresponsible,' adding that Beijing continues to 'promote talks for peace and a political settlement.'⁵
• Blinken's trip follows US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen's visit earlier this month, as well as the first conversation between US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Chinese counterpart Dong Jung in 18 months.⁶

Sources: ¹Associated Press, ²South China Morning Post, ³state.gov, ⁴Washington Post, ⁵Fmprc and ⁶reuters.com.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by The Hill. Blinken's visit to China is yet another example of American intent to juggle continued communication with a tough stance against its biggest rival. While Pres. Xi will naturally attempt to present the trip as a sign of Chinese prosperity, Blinken is expected to raise a plethora of issues agreed by Republicans and Democrats alike that place Beijing as an inadmissible threat to US security.
• Pro-China narrative, as provided by Chinadaily.com.cn. While China always remains open to joint cooperation with the US, this is dependent on honesty and action on Washington's behalf. Irrespective of opposing ideologies, the US must realize that they now exist within a multipolar global order — coming to China with a long list of unrealistic demands is not a conducive strategy to a long-term vision of compromise and co-existence.

Predictions