Blinken to visit China next week: what will he discuss with Xi Jinping

U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken will pay a working visit to China next week. The visit will take place amid serious concerns in Washington about China's support for the aggressor country Russia.

This was reported by CNN. The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden wants to ensure that relations between the United States and China remain as they were before, despite U.S. criticism of the rapprochement between Beijing and Moscow.

Blinken will meet with senior Chinese officials in Shanghai and Beijing during his visit on April 24-26, a senior U.S. State Department official said.

The US diplomat has three main goals: to make progress on key issues, to clearly and directly express concerns about bilateral regional and global issues, and to discuss responsible competition.

Blinken plans to reiterate the United States' deep concern about China's support for Russia's military-industrial base, as well as China's human rights violations and "unfair economic and trade practices."

The Secretary of State will also discuss the situation in the Middle East with Chinese officials. The United States has repeatedly called on China, both publicly and privately, to pressure Iran to exercise restraint as tensions between it and Israel grow.

"And, of course, the secretary will discuss challenges in the Indo-Pacific region, including China's provocations in the South China Sea, as well as North Korea's threatening rhetoric and reckless actions," the official said. In addition, Blinken "will emphasize the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait."

As a reminder, Blinken recently criticized China's support for the Russian defense industry. He said that Beijing is now the main supplier of critical components for Russian weapons and thus participates in the Russian war against Ukraine.

As OBOZ.UA reported earlier, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has started his three-day trip to China. He was also expected to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, and they will discuss, among other things, the establishment of a "just peace" in Ukraine.

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