US top diplomat Blinken visits China for tough talks

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Shanghai on Wednesday to tackle an array of unresolved issues that threaten the stability of US-China relations.

Blinken met with business leaders before traveling to Beijing on Friday for talks with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and a possible meeting with President Xi Jinping.

Tensions between the world's two largest economies have eased noticeably since his last visit in June. At the time, Blinken was the highest-ranking US official to visit China in five years.

The trip was followed by a meeting between the two countries' presidents in November.

Blinken meets with Shanghai business leaders

Blinken emphasized the importance of being in Shanghai, calling it "a real hub of connection between the United States and China when it comes to business."

The US diplomat highlighted one of the agreements between US President Joe Biden and President Xi Jinping during his November visit to San Francisco. 

"We need to find ways to put as much stability as possible into the relationships to make sure we're managing the relationship responsibly," Blinken said adding that "a big part of that is making sure the economic relationship is working in the ways it should work to mutual benefit."

Blinken's soft diplomacy

A day before he meets Beijing's top brass to tackle issues like Russia, Taiwan and trade, Blinken sampled local food, watched a basketball game and strolled along Shanghai's famous Bund promenade.

He visited local Communist Party leader Chen Jining and told him President Biden was committed to "direct and sustained" dialogue between the world's two largest economies. 

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said that Blinken raised concerns about China's "trade policies and non-market economic practices."

The top US diplomat also "stressed that the United States seeks a healthy economic competition" with Beijing and called for "a level playing field for US workers and firms operating in China."

Chen, who is the Chinese Communist Party secretary for the city, welcomed Blinken. "Whether we choose cooperation or confrontation affects the well-being of both peoples, both countries and the future of humanity," he said.

Although relations between Washington and Beijing have thawed, the countries have made little progress in curbing China's supply of chemicals used to make fentanyl. Taiwan remains a flashpoint, and tensions are rising over China's support for Russia in its war in Ukraine.

China's partnership with Russia

Blinken will also press China to stop its companies from re-equipping and re-supplying Russia's defense industrial base.

Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022, just days after agreeing to a "no limits" partnership with Beijing. And while China has steered clear of supplying arms, US officials warn that Chinese companies are sending dual-use technology that helps Russia's war effort.

During the visit, Blinken is also expected to discuss Chinese trade practices and raise human rights issues, including China's treatment of Muslims in its western region of Xinjiang.

dh/fb (AFP, Reuters)