7th June 2023 – (Washington) U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to reschedule his visit to China in the coming weeks, according to officials. The two countries are trying to put a cap on tensions, which were sparked earlier this year when the United States detected and later shot down what it claimed was a Chinese espionage balloon over U.S. soil. Blinken was scheduled to travel to China in February but cancelled the trip due to the incident.
However, both countries have given a positive assessment of a recent visit to Beijing by senior US officials, including Daniel Kritenbrink, the top US diplomat for East Asia, who also arranged Blinken’s previously planned trip. A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that Blinken was expected to reschedule his visit to China in the coming weeks but stressed that no date had been set.
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said that the recent talks in Beijing discussed “the potential for future visits” and were “very useful.” “I think you’ll see us speak to future visits here in the near future,” he told reporters. State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said that Kritenbrink and senior White House official Sarah Beran had “candid and productive discussions” in China, but regarding Blinken’s trip said only, “We look forward to rescheduling that visit when conditions allow.”
Patel also highlighted the importance of in-person meetings to carry forward discussions, stating that “our viewpoint is that there is no substitute for in-person meetings or engagements, whether they be in Washington or Beijing.”