Guest Post by Moon of Alabama
The talks Secretary of State Anthony Blinken had in China were somewhat useful. On his way out he at least used the right words on Taiwan:
‘We do not support Taiwan independence,’ America’s top diplomat said in Beijing after meeting with Chinese president Xi Jingping.
The U.S. had practically begged for the meeting and that it took place is itself a small success:
To stabilise their relations, China and the United States must first arrest a downward spiral. That may turn out to be the achievement of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s talks with Chinese leaders in Beijing. It was unrealistic to expect any more just now. The negative fundamentals of the relationship remain the same. Both sides described Blinken’s talks with Foreign Minister Qin Gang and top diplomat Wang Yi as “candid” – meaning very frank. But they paved the way for a meeting between Blinken and President Xi Jinping, which did no harm to hopes for a Xi- Joe Biden summit.Along with Qin’s acceptance of an invitation to Washington, that suggests the two sides found some common ground – particularly the need for more stable ties and to reduce the risk of military conflict.
Then, within just 24 hours, President Biden blew it:
Continue reading “And Then Biden Blew It …”
