7-6-2023 (WASHINGTON) US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is preparing to embark on a visit to China for talks in the near future, according to a US official on Tuesday (Jun 6). This comes several months after Blinken had cancelled a previously scheduled trip due to concerns over a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon.
No specific details regarding the timing of the visit were provided by the official.
The US State Department has not officially confirmed any plans yet. Deputy spokesman Vedant Patel stated, “We have no travel for the Secretary to announce; as we’ve said previously, the visit to the People’s Republic of China will be rescheduled when conditions allow.”
Initial reports of the planned visit were first published by Bloomberg News.
Back in February, Blinken had cancelled his trip to Beijing after the United States claimed to have identified a surveillance balloon of Chinese origin flying over US territory. The balloon was subsequently intercepted and shot down by a US military fighter aircraft off the coast of South Carolina.
During the incident, the US Secretary of State condemned China’s actions as an “irresponsible act” in a conversation with Wang Yi, the director of China’s Central Commission for Foreign Affairs. Despite the setback, Blinken reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to engagement and expressed his intention to visit China when circumstances permit.
In May, Blinken expressed optimism about rescheduling a visit to China later this year, emphasizing the importance of re-establishing regular lines of communication across all levels and branches of the US government in an interview with the Washington Post.
The bilateral relations between the world’s two largest economies have been strained due to various issues, including Taiwan, China’s human rights record, and military activities in the South China Sea.
