U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Shanghai on Wednesday, marking another high-level contact between the United States and China as the two global rivals seek to stabilize their strained relationship. While the visit signals a steadier footing for U.S.-China ties, a daunting array of unresolved issues threatens to undermine the progress made in recent months.
Blinken, who will meet with business leaders in Shanghai before heading to Beijing for talks with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and a likely meeting with President Xi Jinping, emphasized the importance of face-to-face diplomacy in a short video statement posted to X. "Face to face diplomacy matters," he said. "It is important for avoiding miscommunications and misperceptions, and to advance the interests of the American people."
The visit follows a series of high-level contacts between the two nations, including working groups on issues ranging from global trade to military communication, which have tempered the public acrimony that drove relations to historic lows early last year. However, little headway has been made on curbing China's supply of chemicals used to make fentanyl, tensions remain high over Taiwan, and strains are intensifying over China's backing of Russia in its war in Ukraine.
Blinken is expected to press China to stop its firms from retooling and resupplying Russia's defense industrial base, as Moscow continues its invasion of Ukraine that began in February 2022. While China has steered clear of providing arms directly, U.S. officials warn that Chinese companies are sending dual-use technology that aids Russia's war effort. The U.S. has preliminarily discussed imposing sanctions on Chinese banks over the country's support for Russia but has stopped short of taking such action due to the potential effects on the global economy and U.S.-China relations.
The visit also comes on the heels of the U.S. Congress moving ahead with a bill that includes new funding for Taiwan and less than a month before the democratically governed island inaugurates a new president, Lai Ching-te, who, like his predecessor, rejects China's claim to the island. The senior State Department official said parties should "avoid taking provocative actions that may raise tensions, and demonstrate restraint" ahead of the inauguration.
In addition to geopolitical concerns, economic issues are also at the forefront of the agenda. An effort to force China's ByteDance to sell the social media app TikTok or face a ban in the U.S. is gaining momentum in Congress, signaling a growing appetite to confront Beijing on economic matters. Blinken is also expected to raise human rights concerns, including China's treatment of Muslims in its western Xinjiang region.
Despite the challenges, there have been attempts to find common ground on issues such as the Middle East conflict. After an alleged Israeli strike on an Iranian consular facility in Damascus this month, Blinken spoke with Wang and representatives of other countries with ties to Iran to emphasize that escalation is not in anyone's interest.
Wang Huiyao, founder and president of the Beijing-based Center for China and Globalization think tank, highlighted the potential for the two countries to work together, citing China's influence over Iran as an example. "They sell all their oil to China," Wang said of Iran, "so when China says, 'OK, you just stop,' then they have to think about it."
