US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is scheduled to visit China in the next weeks, according to two US officials and a source familiar with the subject, CNN reported.
According to the sources, preparations for Blinken’s travel to Beijing are ongoing. His trip to China’s capital was originally slated for February, but it was postponed after a suspected Chinese spy balloon over the United States sparked indignation from the Biden administration. But the two countries striving to restore normalcy in the relationship after an unusually tumultuous and stressful year, CNN reported.
The projected travel by the top US ambassador would be a big milestone in the two countries delicate relationship, which has been severely strained. US officials have emphasised the importance of regular communication lines in order to keep the “competitive” relationship from devolving into confrontation, and they have questioned China on the US’ willingness for deeper participation at the cabinet level, CNN reported.