Chinese Foreign Ministry announced that the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken will visit China from June 18 to 19.  It has become one of the hottest topics in the international media because of many complicated socio-economic and geostrategic reasons. Blinken’s visit to Beijing also carries notion of symbolism and realism in many aspects because both countries are passing through difficult phase of diplomatic engagements due to hawks sitting in the Biden’s administration pushing its US policy makers and military brasses towards potential confrontation. In the near past, according to a Gwadar Pro's report, Blinken’s visit to China was also delayed in February because of so-called Chinese weather balloon which ultimately proved a failed attempt of the US to accuse China.

Unfortunately, the US media is once again creating media hype to malign China of having so-called Chinese espionage center in Cuba just to gain certain political goals. Subsequently, the Cuban authorities and the Chinese foreign ministry immediately refuted and rejected the so-called US tall claims in this regard. On June 14 Beijing time, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang held a telephone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the latter’s invitation. Qin Gang clearly expressed China’s solemn position on its major concerns, including the Taiwan issue, and stressed that the United States should respect them, stop meddling in China's internal affairs, and refrain from harming China's sovereignty, security, and interests in the name of competition. 

He also expressed the hope that the US side will take practical steps to implement the important consensus reached by the heads of state of the two countries during their meeting in Bali, as well as the relevant commitments of the United States, and move in the same direction as China. to effectively manage differences, foster exchanges and cooperation, and promote China-US relations to stop deteriorating and return to the path of healthy and stable development. It was indeed a diplomatic soft reminder to the US side that it should represent a correct attitude for high-level meetings to be held on June 17-18 in Beijing because if Blinken comes to China without seriousness or continues pressuring China to achieve Washington's own goals, the visit would be meaningless.

Speculations are very high that visit of Blinken to Beijing is going to re-launch the next stage of high-level exchanges between the two countries with the desire of comprehensive dialogue through jointly working to manage divergences.  Hopes are also high that this visit would be right step in direct direction for achieving mutual reconciliation, securing sustainable mechanism of conflict resolution. Moreover, it would be a giant step to build trustworthy in-person communication channels between two countries permitting both sides to share their concerns, handling through diplomatic means. It would also provide an ideal opportunity to both the sides to get acquainted with mutual intentions, policy concerns, priority areas, strategic goals and geopolitical vested interests.

It would be helpful in preventing misjudgments, enhancing understanding, and managing disagreements. Moreover, during the phone call with Blinken, Qin rightly pinpointed numerous x-factors creating spirits of uncertainty, chaos and diplomatic uneasiness in the China-US relations, facing new difficulties and challenges, and the responsibility during the beginning of 2023.  It is good omen that China has always been following the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in the China-US relations. Unfortunately, the Biden’s administration intentionally delayed Blinken’s visit to Beijing and indulged into dirty power politics by engaging its allies and started a unending Cold War syndrome against China. 

However, now the US is showing diplomatic positivity, political connectivity, geopolitical productivity and geostrategic participation to re-start US-China high-level engagement for the next phase. Both sides should work for achieving the goals of combating global warming, bio-diversity, green energy transition, peace, stability and harmony instead of polluting other’s rights of sovereignty, territorial integrity, immense socio-economic prosperity, human rights protection and last but not least global cooperation. The two great powers should try to manage their differences, promote exchanges and cooperation, and get China-US relations back on track to a healthy and stable development.

We live in a globalized world which is well connected and compensated through fair, free, and just trade and economic relations because unilateral socio-economic sanctions and striking down euphoria against the Chinese multinational companies will achieve noting but badly disturb global industrial supply chains, important for quick economic recovery in the days to come. Taiwan is Red-Line for China which should not be eroded through forming AUKUS, QUAD and submarine cooperation in the Asian Pacific region to contain China. However, it seems that the US's all-out strategic competition with China is unlikely to change. Obviously, the Blinken’s visit to Beijing would minimize distortions and difference of views between the two sides and provide an ideal launching pad for the re-launching of meaningful, interactive and integrative diplomatic ties. The desire of dialogue must be utilized for positivity and stop blame game.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-INP