Blinken did not use rounded sentences without edges as the Chinese liturgy requires. He said directly first to Foreign Minister Wang Yi, then to President Xi Jinping: «Both the US and European allies are ready to impose sanctions on Chinese companies if they continue to send material and equipment to the Russian arms industry . China is the main supplier of machine tools, microelectronics, nitrocellulose critical to producing munitions, rocket propellants and other dual-use products that Moscow is using to boost its defense industrial base.” In other words: “Russia would struggle to sustain its attack on Ukraine without China’s help.”
Blinken, warning to Xi: «China stops helping Putin or we will act». Visit to Beijing, the Taiwan node
After San Francisco
In the mission to Beijing, which follows the November summit between Xi and Biden in San Francisco, the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, listed a series of elements of division, even serious ones. Yet, the continuation of dialogue between Washington and Beijing represents a positive element. Blinken did not fail to remind: «There is evidence of Chinese attempts to influence the presidential elections. We want to make sure they are stopped immediately.” On Taiwan he reiterated the balanced but now consolidated line of the USA which respects “the one-China policy”, however he also added, regarding the tensions in the South China Sea where Beijing claims extensive sovereignty: “Our commitments for defense of the Philippines remain unshakable.” The elephant left outside the room of the conversation between Blinken and Xi Jinping is called TikTok, although it may make you smile (but it would be an extremely superficial reaction) that the relations between the two great powers are aggravated by the clouds on the social network with dedicated mini videos to ballets and kittens. The US Congress has approved a law that could ban TikTok if ByteDance, a Chinese company, does not sell its American division. The suspicion is that Beijing can accumulate data on US citizens and companies thanks to this social network present in most smartphones. There was no mention of this move in the meeting, while ByteDance has already replied: “We will not sell our US division, we are ready to fight in court.” In the coming weeks, however, a confrontation between the USA and China will begin on AI, artificial intelligence, on the risks and unknowns of this technology destined to expand and whose potential is still unpredictable. The US has also asked China for “additional measures” in collaborating to combat trafficking in fetanyl, the drug that is causing many deaths in the US.
Fine, but what did Xi Jinping reply? Here, apparently less sharp-edged Asian rhetoric emerges: «Even the United States – said Xi – can have a positive vision of China’s development. When this fundamental problem is resolved, relationships can truly stabilize, improve and progress. We should be partners, not rivals. The Earth is big enough for both China and the US to prosper.” Fine words, to state: America does not slow down our economy with tariffs and bans. On military aid to Moscow, Beijing replies: “The US accusations are unfounded, we have normal trade and economic exchanges with Russia.” In reality, Blinken also asked Xi for collaboration to ease tension in the Middle East: “China – explained the US Secretary of State – can dissuade Iran and its proxies from widening the conflict”.
Reply
To understand how Blinken’s mission to Beijing was judged in China, it may be useful to reread the analysis by Global Times, an English-language news outlet headed by the Chinese Communist Party. He explains Beijing’s point of view this way: “Xi said that China is willing to cooperate with the United States, but cooperation should be a two-way street.” Again, quoting Li Haidong, professor at China Foreign Affairs University: «The negative moves of the United States such as the sale of arms to Taiwan, the attempt to ban TikTok and the smear campaign on Xinjiang, are ongoing. The main source of uncertainty for relations is in the United States.” In other words: China and the USA are talking to each other, but there are still many hours of flight time.
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