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US Sec State Blinken To Meet FM Wang Yi On Saturday

US-CHINA

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Saturday, following the conclusion of a two-day ministerial session of the G-20 in Bali, Indonesia.

  • East Asia Correspondent William Yang: "A U.S. government official said Blinken is slated to hold bilateral talks with Wang on Saturday -- their first face-to-face meeting since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24."
  • The meeting comes as the Sino-US relationship experiences strain following the US and NATO designation of China as a long-term systemic challenge for the Western alliance.
  • Beijing responded by criticising a "Cold-War mentality" of the US and saying "the long-outdated script of the Cold War must not be repeated in the Asia-Pacific."
  • Is is perhaps in response to these calls that the Biden administration has recalibrated the language of communication with China in recent days. US govt departments dealing with China have begun using "open lines of communication" in press briefings. This is expected to continue as the Biden administration seeks to develop of US-China "playbook" to avoid escalation into confrontation.
  • The US Treasury Department on Monday: "Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen today held a virtual meeting with Vice Premier of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) Liu He as part of the Administration’s ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communication."
  • The Pentagon today (see bullet at 14:59 BST): "US General Mike Milley has spoken with China’s Chief of the Joint Staff Department General Li Zuocheng regarding the requirement to 'responsibly manage competition and maintain open lines of communication'."
  • An announcement of the relaxation of some US tariffs on Chinese imports was expected this week, but unsubstantiated reports from US officials suggest that the announcement may be postponed until after the Blinken-Wang meeting.

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