Sec State Blinken To Meet FM Wang Tomorrow

According to the US Statement Department, Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet his Chinese counterpart Foreign Minister Wang Yi tomorrow on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

• The last meeting between the two was on July 9 at the G20 Foreign Ministerial in Bali, Indonesia.
• Since then, relations between the US and China have hit multi-decade lows, fueled by a diplomatic and military standoff which followed a congressional delegation to Taiwan led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).
• Yesterday in his address to the General Assembly, President Biden stated that the US has no intention of pursuing a "cold war" with China but will continue to oppose Chinese influence through non-confrontational means.
• Biden also used the UN podium to restate that his administration adheres to the principles of the One-China policy.
• Blinken will be hoping that Friday's meeting can normalise relations, strained to the point of severing communication in crucial areas of defence and nuclear transparency. Blinken will also hope to reengage with China on climate and narcotics - two key pillars of Biden's administration objectives.