Blinken to begin ‘trip’ with virtual Mexico, Canada talks
‘Virtual travel prioritises the health and safety of everyone involved, while demonstrating the significance of our partnerships with our closest partners,’ says State Department
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will hold his first foreign “trip” on Friday through virtual talks with Mexico and Canada, seeking common ground on migration and other issues that have tested the neighbors’ relations.
In a sign of President Joe Biden’s push to discourage travel to halt the COVID-19 pandemic, Blinken will stay in Washington and speak by videoconference with his counterparts in Otawa and Mexico City.
Blinken, who also plans virtually to visit the Us-mexico border, is following the lead of Biden, who on Tuesday held his first “summit” in the form of a virtual meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
“Secretary Blinken’s virtual travel prioritises the health and safety of everyone involved, while demonstrating the significance of our partnerships with our neighbours and some of our closest partners,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement on Thursday.
Former president Donald Trump had strained ties with many close US allies including Canada although many were surprised by his productive relationship with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, a populist from the let.
Under pressure of sanctions from Trump, Mexico agreed to keep on its soil thousands of Central Americans and other asylum seekers pending review of their applications to flee to the United States.
The bid en administration has begun to dismantle the program, which migrant advocates say has put people fleeing violence at physical risk and violates international refugee law.
Tensions have also spiked between the neighbors over the US prosecution of prominent Mexicans on drug-trafficking charges and mutual threats to curb cooperation.
The United States in October arrested in Los Angeles a former Mexican defense minister but he was released ater heavy pressure from Mexico, which US officials say reneged on promises to prosecute him at home.
On Monday, US authorities arrested the wife of detained drug kingpin Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman at an airport near Washington, although she has US citizenship as well.
Biden has vowed to build a close relationship with Trudeau, a center-let ally, ater Trump cast Canada as a competitor and publicly lashed out at the prime minister over trade policy.
Biden nonetheless quickly moved to end the Keystone XL pipeline promoted by Canada, which was fiercely opposed by environmentalists due to the high level of carbon pollution that causes climate change.
Separately, Biden’s nominee to be director of the CIA, William Burns, told a Senate commitee on Wednesday that he saw competition with China — and countering its “adversarial, predatory” leadership — as the key to US national security.
Burns, 64, a former career diplomat during both Democratic and Republican administrations, is expected to easily win confirmation to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
Burns has already been confirmed by the Senate five times for his stints as ambassador to Jordan and Russia and three senior State Department positions.
The Senate Intelligence Commitee will likely vote on his confirmation late next week or the week ater, to allow time for members to send more questions, a congressional official said.
Testifying to the commitee, Burns outlined his four top priorities — “people, partnerships, China and technology” — if he is confirmed.
He called China “a formidable, authoritarian adversary,” that is strengthening its ability to steal intellectual property, repress its people, expand its reach and build influence within the United States.
China’s foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said, when asked about Burns’ comments, that he hoped the US could “cast aside its zero sum mentality and adopt a positive and constructive policy towards China.”
The previous US administration had inflicted “immeasurable damage” to Us-china relations, said Zhao, speaking at a daily news briefing in Beijing on Thursday.
During questioning, Burns said that if he were a US college or university president, he would recommend shuting down Confucius Institutes — Beijing-funded campus cultural centers that many members of Congress see as propaganda tools.