Il State Department spokesman American Matthew Miller announced that effective June 16, the US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinkenwill be visiting Beijing. The news comes after a recent telephone conversation between Blinken himself and the Chinese foreign minister Qin Gangafter the diplomatic channels had become more complicated due to the case of Chinese spy balloon who had flown over the United States, Washington’s provocations on Taiwan and a series of public statements that had helped raise tension between the two powers. Blinken’s trip was in fact scheduled for the month of February but it was postponed until the last moment due to the diplomatic frictions that emerged.
According to a statement from the State Department, Blinken will meet “senior Chinese officials to discuss the importance of maintaining lines of communication are open in order to responsibly manage relations between the United States and China”, also complicated by the near collision in the Taiwan Strait between a US destroyer and the Chinese warship last June 5th. Miller then added that during the talks “issues of bilateral interest, global and regional issues and potential cooperation on common transnational challenges will also be raised”.
After the confirmation of the visit, Beijing replied through the spokesperson of the Taiwan affairs office, Zhu Fenglianthat “the island of Taiwan is nothing but one pawn in the US strategy to contain China that can be dumped at any time”. Zhu then added, quoting a US intelligence source reported by the portal The MessengerThat Washington would have ready a evacuation plan of its citizens living in Taiwan in case of relationship degeneration bilateral relations between the two powers. He then concluded by stating that: “If a war breaks out in the Taiwan Strait, the island would turn into a battlefield and its population into cannon fodder, but the Americans would simply walk away.” At the end of the intervention he then turned to the “compatriots” of Taiwan, arguing that “the majority of the island’s population will clearly understand whether the United States is supporting the island or damning it, whether state authorities are protecting it or causing a disaster“.
In conclusion of the journey of Blinken, to be held between 16 and 21 Junethere is also a stage a Londonwhere the secretary of state will participate in a conference onUkraine to “help mobilize the international support by the public and private sector to help Ukraine recover after the brutal attacks by Russia”.