New York, NY, June 20, 2023 – America’s diplomacy takes a bold step for peace with Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s landmark visit to China.
The visit is a demonstration of Washington’s – and Biden Administration’s – ability to manage differences in a crucial relationship. The hospitality and welcome that Beijing extended to America’s chief diplomat bodes well for the candid dialogue that Secretary Blinken referenced in the first media briefing in five years on Chinese soil by a U.S. Secretary of State, and could pave the way for a Biden-Xi meeting.
Of special significance is the “important conversation” that Secretary Blinken underlined he had with President Xi Jinping, and the “candid, substantive, and constructive discussions” with Foreign Minister Qin Gang, and with Wang Yi, the highest-ranking diplomat in China today in his capacity as the director of the Chinese Communist Party’s foreign affairs office. Secretary Blinken made a special reference to “shared transnational challenges” where Washington and Beijing can work together. This includes Ukraine, the Taiwan Strait, as well as the South and East China Seas.
Recalling China’s close ties with Iran, the American Jewish Congress takes this opportunity to underline the role that Beijing can play – in coordination with the United States – in reining in Iran’s support for terrorism in the Gulf and the Middle East, and especially against America’s closest ally in the region, Israel, where China is also keen to develop economic and diplomatic ties.
(Photo credit: Leah Mills/Reuters)
