Going on a charm offensive ahead of anticipated harsh talks, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged on the US and China to handle their disputes “responsibly” on Thursday.
A day prior to his meeting with Beijing’s top brass to discuss difficult matters like trade, Taiwan, and Russia, Blinken visited Shanghai, where he enjoyed local cuisine, attended a basketball game, and took a leisurely stroll down the city’s well-known Bund promenade.
After years of growing tension, Blinken claimed US President Joe Biden was dedicated to “direct and sustained” discussion between the world’s two largest economies while visiting the local Communist Party chief in a chamber with expansive views of the Shanghai cityscape.
“I think it’s important to underscore the value in fact, the necessity of direct engagement, of speaking to each other, laying out our differences, which are real, seeking to work through them,” Blinken said.
“We have an obligation for our people indeed an obligation to the world to manage the relationship between our two countries responsibly.”
The Chinese Communist Party secretary for Shanghai, Chen Jining, welcomed Blinken partly in English and spoke of the importance of US businesses to the city.
“Whether we choose cooperation or confrontation affects the well-being of both peoples, both countries and the future of humanity,” Chen told him.
Shanghai, the nation’s financial hub, is frequently used as a stepping stone to higher positions in China; President Xi Jinping previously held a temporary residence there.
Although Blinken and Xi met in an unexpected meeting during Blinken’s most recent visit in June, China has not yet made plans for their meeting.
Blinken also spoke with students on Thursday at the New York University campus in Shanghai, expressing his hope that more Americans will choose to study in China.
He emphasized that accepting Chinese students was a top priority for the US.
Beijing has maintained that at US airports, Chinese citizens with valid travel documents including students have been the target of intrusive questioning and deportations.
“President Biden and President Xi are determined to strengthen our people-to- people ties,” Blinken said.
