At the meeting, the two sides also discussed trade and economic issues. Blinken called on China to lower tariffs on US goods, and Xi said that China was willing to work with the US to stabilize global economic growth. The meeting ended with a commitment from both sides to continue dialogue. During meeting, the Chinese President, Xi Jinping said, “The two sides have also made progress and reached the agreement on some specific issues. This is very good.” On the other hand, as a response, Blinken said “the two countries have an obligation and responsibility to manage their relationship and that the United States was committed to doing that.” Furthermore, China’s ministry of foreign affairs said in a statement Blinken’s visit “coincides with a critical juncture in China-US relations.” Therefore, Blinken said that his trip to China has achieved its goal because the two countries managed to restore some senior-level communications. Blinken also stated during his trip to China, “If we want to make sure, as we do, that the competition that we have with China does not veer into conflict, the place you start is with communicating.” In addition, according to a statement by the US State Department, during his meeting with minister of foreign affairs of China, the US secretary Blinken “emphasized the importance of diplomacy and maintaining open channels of communication”. The department added that the regular talks would reduce the risk of misperception and miscalculation.
Despite the lack of progress on some issues, the meeting is being considered as a positive step by both the countries. It was the first high-level meeting between the US and China since the start of the war in Ukraine, and it showed that the two countries are making some efforts to talk to each other. The two sides agreed to continue dialogue on a number of issues, and the United States and China have reiterated that they would work to avoid miscalculations that could lead to conflict. They also agreed to cooperate on issues of common interest, such as climate change.
The meeting is being seen as a sign that the US and China are committed to finding ways to manage their differences. In spite of that, the prospects for US-China relations in the future are uncertain. It is because, the two countries have a number of issues that divide them. The outcome will likely depend on the progress that is made on the issues that are currently dividing the two countries such as the outcome of the war in Ukraine, the future of Taiwan, the rise of China’s economic and military power, and the domestic political situation in both countries. In conclusion, Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s much awaited visit to Beijing demonstrates that the two countries are eager to revive diplomatic path and infuse some stability into their interactions. But, more political will and effort will be required to restore some sort of stability and balance. Therefore, it remains to be seen whether this will lead to any significant improvement in US-China relations.
Research Associate, Pakistan House