Apart from all the details of the visit of the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, to China, and the outcomes resulting from the meetings and statements, what truly stands out is the fact that Blinken is indeed the first US Secretary of State to visit China in the past five years.
This is not only surprising, but also a testament to how can a US administration can overlook the importance of engaging directly with a competitor, or one might even say, a potential threat to its economy and geopolitical standing, without direct communication?
In politics, it is often said, "Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer." The political reality indicates that China is the one approaching American interests in various fields, ranging from economy to politics, encompassing conflicts like the "microchip war" and the situation in Ukraine, reaching also Russia and Iran.
The scale of China’s economy makes imposing economic sanctions, a habit the US indulges in too often, impossible. Beijing is also too dangerous to be ignored politically and militarily, which is the approach Washington takes with the other global actors when this aligns with narrow domestic priorities.
Today, the Biden administration was forced to put its feet back on the ground and engage with politics as it should, as countries do not negotiate with their friends but with their enemies. And here Blinken is visiting Beijing to spend seven and a half hours negotiating and dining with his Chinese counterpart.
A senior official at the US State Department was quoted stating that Blinken and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, have agreed to work together to increase the number of flights between the United States and China. Additionally, Blinken had a 35-minute meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The US State Department said that the two sides held “frank and constructive talks.” Blinken emphasized the importance of keeping communication channels open to reduce the risk of misunderstandings and misjudgments,” adding that his country would “manage that competition responsibly” to prevent it from turning into a “conflict.”
The State Department also affirmed that Blinken raised concerns about China’s “unfair economic practices” and stressed the significance of “the maintenance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.” He also affirmed that there had been no change in the US position on the “One China” policy.
The "One China" policy has been a contentious issue, and the Biden administration has escalated tensions in the Taiwan situation to a point where the world believed we were approaching a costly and frightening military confrontation. However, here we see the US administration backtracking, and it is not the first time they have reversed their stance on significant matters recently. Therefore, the focus now shifts from the visit itself to the perilous nature of this administration that has defied all logic and political rationality in its foreign policy, whether it be towards Middle Eastern countries, Russia, or even China. The story lies in the recklessness of this approach and the implications it carries for US-China relations.
As the presidential election season approaches, the current administration has begun to adopt a more balanced foreign policy. This shift is also influenced by international developments, ranging from the war in Ukraine to China's geopolitical positioning.
The essence of the story, as mentioned earlier, lies in the overarching question: How can a country of the political, economic, and military magnitude of the United States adopt a policy of disengagement, disregard for escalation and sanctions, and fuel crises without engaging in dialogue? Its approach is perplexing and concerning to any rational observer.
