Relations between the United States and China have been strained in recent years. However, in a rare meeting between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, progress was made. The Chinese leader said “common ground” with Washington has been found, especially on some specific points.
This rapprochement is considered a “good thing” by Xi Jinping, who hopes that Antony Blinken’s visit will bring positive results to the stabilization of relations between the two countries. However, Antony Blinken stressed that the disagreements between the two powers remain deep and vehement.
The two parties notably discussed the sensitive issue of relations with Taiwan, an island claimed by Beijing, as well as other subjects such as rivalry in technologies, American sanctions targeting Chinese digital giants, trade, minority Muslim Uyghurs and Chinese Claims in the South China Sea.
Antony Blinken’s visit could also facilitate the organization of a future summit between Joe Biden and Xi Jinping, in order to continue discussions on the subjects still pending. However, the issue of Taiwan remains a major point of disagreement, according to Wang Yi, the head of Chinese diplomacy.
In short, this rare meeting between the leaders of the two powers is beginning to warm up their relations. However, the road remains long to stabilize their coexistence and reach an optimal understanding on the subjects which oppose them.