The first US Secretary of State visit to Beijing since 2018
Antony Blinken arrived in Beijing on June 18 in what became his first visit to China in his current role and also the first US Secretary of State visit to Beijing since 2018. It took the Biden administration almost six months to put this visit back on the schedule as it was originally set for February.
Blinken has already met with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, who said on Sunday that China-US relations were at their lowest point.
The US media reported on Sunday that the ambiguity following the talks indicates little substantive progress on Blinken’s agenda items, which include concerns over Taiwan, jailed US citizens in China, and Beijing’s stance on Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine.
Blinken and Qin Gang are said to be "inching toward an off-ramp from months of rancor" but Beijing maintains its "stern" stance on key issues.
According to the Monday schedule published by the US State Department, Blinken holds talks with China's Central Foreign Affairs Office Director Wang Yi on Monday morning. The US State Secretary will then participate in a roundtable with exchange program alumni in Beijing and a separate roundtable with US business leaders. He also plans to meet with employees and families of the US Mission China in Beijing.
