Blinken hints at China trip this year to restart regular dialogue
Top U.S. diplomat underlines need to avoid competition veering 'into conflict'
WASHINGTON -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday said he hoped to make a trip to China sometime in 2023, stressing the need to "reestablish regular lines of communication at all levels and across our government."
"We're in a competition with China; there's no secret about that," said Blinken at an event hosted by The Washington Post. "But we have a strong interest in trying to make sure that that competition doesn't veer into conflict."
Bilateral tensions have hampered exchanges between senior U.S. and Chinese military officials in recent years, raising concerns of an accidental clash between the countries.
Blinken had previously planned to visit China in February, under an agreement reached by U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President XI Jinping during their meeting in November. But he postponed after a suspected Chinese spy balloon was spotted over the U.S.
China has pushed back against U.S. claims regarding the balloon, as well as on Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen's recent visits to the U.S. No new date has been set for Blinken's trip.
In addition to Blinken, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo are also exploring trips to China to jump-start a bilateral economic dialogue.
Daniel Kritenbrink, the assistant secretary of state of East Asian and Pacific affairs, said during a Senate hearing Tuesday that the administration will share a comprehensive China strategy within the coming weeks. The National Defense Authorization Act mandates that a strategy be presented by early July.
The U.S. is becoming increasingly wary over China pursuing Taiwanese unification through the use of force. The U.S. intelligence community has said China aims to build up its military to forestall U.S. intervention in the event of an invasion of Taiwan by 2027.
Kritenbrink made the case for continuing to providing arms to Taiwan for self-defense, saying that "we are focused on not just the maintenance of peace and stability" across the Taiwan Strait, "but doing so through deterrence."
He warned that a conflict over Taiwan, where 90% of the world's advanced semiconductors are produced, would have "serious consequences for the entire world." He stressed the importance of sending a message to Beijing that Washington opposes any attempts to change the status quo other through than peaceful means.