Following negotiations with China’s top leaders, including Xi Jinping, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken directly stated that Washington does not recognize Taiwan’s independence, whereas previously it was the exact opposite, and retracted his accusations that China was supplying weapons. in Russia.
When dealing with China, it pays to read between the lines. The board of directors of the American secretary of state met without special honors: no red carpet, no national color. Beijing sent the signal that relations with Washington were strained. In the hotel where the bilateral meeting with the head of the Chinese Foreign Ministry was held, a screen was installed where Blinken passed – to distract prying eyes.
The talks between the two delegations took place in an expanded format. Following this meeting – no official statements for the press. The State Department only reported that the diplomats had a “frank and constructive” conversation, which was the reason for speculation in the American media.
This is the first visit by a US Secretary of State to China in five years. The main intrigue was whether Chinese President Xi Jinping would accept the head of the State Department. The meeting took place.
Sobriety and balance inherent in Chinese diplomacy: the position is unchanged. Beijing expects respect from Washington and categorically rejects any interference in internal affairs. At the same time, the United States has no intention of challenging. The US side makes an unexpected statement: the United States does not support Taiwan independence and does not intend to enter into conflict with China.
“We clearly understand the problems posed by the PRC. The United States will advance the vision of the future – a free, open, stable and prosperous world. We start with diplomacy, including with China,” said Anthony Blinken, US Secretary of State.
An absolute 180 degree turn, given Washington’s recent aggressive attacks: the maneuvering of a US guided missile destroyer in the South China Sea, the visit of Nancy Pelosi and other officials to Taiwan. This is probably how the United States is trying to revive bilateral contacts and end the trade war.
On the eve of Blinken’s visit, the National Bank of China stopped accepting payments from Russian banks for transferring yuan to banks in Europe and America. What does this step mean?
“How will this affect the Russian economy? For the business sector, which is already heading to China, calculation methods will be found. Business, one might say, will hardly suffer. China also approaches this issue in a balanced manner. He understands that in this tense situation, when he can circumvent these sharp turns which may be associated with secondary sanctions and so on, it is better to circumvent than to seek some kind of aggravation,” said economist Mikhail Belyaev.
The West is striving on all sides to win Peking to its side. Including in the question of adherence to anti-Russian sanctions. The Chinese Premier is visiting Berlin. He is received by the German President – in a conversation, Steinmeier calls on China to influence Moscow to end the conflict in Ukraine. What else could be exchanged during the Sino-US talks?
“The Americans initially said that they would certainly discuss with China on the subject, as they themselves formulated it, of putting pressure on Russia to change some of its decisions. But just like in the Taiwan question, I’m sure the Chinese response was “it’s not up to you to decide who we can be friends with and who we should interact with together,” said political scientist Sergey Sanakoev, president. from the Russian-Chinese Analytical Center.
The theme of Russia was certainly heard behind closed doors in the conversation between Blinken and Xi Jinping, and quite deeply. According to the US Secretary of State, Washington has no data indicating that China transfers weapons to our country. It is not yet clear what the US side has in mind when it says it welcomes China’s constructive role in achieving peace in Ukraine. Quite unexpected was Blinken’s statement that the United States would pursue contacts with BRICS countries.
Analysts agree: the countries have made progress in bilateral relations, but a single visit is not enough to solve all the problems. The head of the State Department, in turn, invited the head of the Chinese Foreign Ministry to visit Washington, Qin Gang accepted the invitation.
Earlier, historian Rogulev spoke about the vulnerability of the United States in relations with China. According to him, the PRC, by certain steps, can destroy the American economy or, at least, greatly harm it.
