Blinken visits China: Beijing accuses US of “controlling”

US Secretary of State Blinken has visited China. Unfriendly signals are coming from there. China's reputation is said to be tarnished. Blinken also likes to talk about the human rights situation.

Just before the start of US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken's visit to China, Beijing leveled accusations against the US. “The United States continues to pursue its strategy of containing China,” an unnamed Chinese Foreign Ministry official was quoted as saying ahead of Blinken's arrival in China on Wednesday.

The US has repeatedly interfered in China's internal affairs. It said the People's Republic's reputation would be tarnished and China's interests would be undermined. China firmly rejects such actions.

“Significant Negative Factors”

It is clear that relations have stabilized since the last phone conversation between President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden last April. But “significant negative factors in bilateral relations still remain,” the Xinhua report said.

As a recent example, a representative of the State Department cited US accusations that China is flooding global markets with overcapacity in areas such as electric cars or renewable energies. It said this was a “misrepresentation”. In fact, it is about “bringing China's industrial growth to its knees.”

America wants to improve communications

Blinken will visit Shanghai and Beijing during his three-day visit. Washington has been vocal about improving communication and reducing the risk of misjudgments and conflicts.

Blinken will also speak out on issues of concern to the US, such as China's human rights situation, “unfair economic and trade practices” or the People's Republic's support for Russia's defense sector. It seems that the tense situation in the Middle East will also be discussed.

Passing a historic low point?

In November, US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in the US state of California after a year without direct contact. Discussions continued between members of the two governments at the highest level. Earlier this month, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen traveled to China to meet with representatives of US companies and the Chinese government. “We are in a different situation than a year ago, when bilateral relations reached an all-time low,” Xinhua quoted a Chinese Foreign Ministry official as saying. (APA/dpa)