Blinken seeks calm for Lai ceremony
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken this week is to pay his second visit in less than a year to China, where he is to ask Beijing to avoid “provocative” measures during next month’s inauguration of president-elect William Lai (賴清德).
Blinken’s trip from Wednesday through Friday marks a further lowering of US-China friction that soared under former US president Donald Trump.
However, US President Joe Biden, while seeking greater stability between the world’s two largest economies, has kept up the pressure.
In the days ahead of Blinken’s trip, Biden met jointly with the leaders of US allies Japan and the Philippines, both wary of China, and moved to raise steel tariffs on a “cheating” China.
“We are in a different place than we were a year ago when the bilateral relationship was at an historic low point,” a senior US official told reporters ahead of the trip announcement.
“We’ve set out to stabilize the bilateral relationship without sacrificing our capacity to strengthen our alliances, compete vigorously and defend our interests,” he said on customary condition of anonymity.
Amid the issues expected to be discussed is Taiwan, particularly Lai’s inauguration.
“Our expectation will be, particularly during this important and sensitive time leading up to the May 20 inauguration, that all countries will contribute to peace and stability, avoid taking provocative actions that may raise tensions, and demonstrate restraint,” the official said.
US officials quietly believe that improved US-China relations helped avoid worse-case scenarios of Chinese pressure during the elections in January.
Also high on Blinken’s agenda would be what US officials say is a major push by China that has helped Russia, in the throes of the Ukraine invasion, carry out its biggest militarization since Soviet times.
Blinken is to take the message directly to Beijing after encouraging European allies to make their concerns known with China, which is seen as eager for smooth relations with the West as it faces economic headwinds.