All articles tagged with #high level talks
U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo is scheduled to visit China from August 27 to 30, marking the third visit by a high-ranking U.S. official since June. The visit, at the invitation of Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao, aims to discuss the U.S.-China commercial relationship, challenges faced by U.S. businesses, and potential areas for cooperation.
NATO and Ukraine are holding high-level talks under a new NATO-Ukraine Council, which aims to strengthen political integration and decision-making. While Ukraine's membership is not yet granted due to the ongoing war with Russia, NATO has simplified Ukraine's path to eventual membership and offered new security guarantees and military aid. The Kremlin considers G7 nations' plans to offer Ukraine security guarantees as "extremely ill-judged and potentially very dangerous," while China expresses concern about NATO's eastward expansion. Hungary welcomes NATO's decision to bring Ukraine closer to the alliance without a clear path for joining, emphasizing the need to avoid an "anti-China" stance. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy seeks military aid, a formal invitation to join NATO, and security guarantees from member states at the NATO summit.
President Biden is sending his top aides to Beijing throughout the summer in an effort to establish a new foundation for US-China relations. The Biden administration hopes that high-level dialogue can help cool the fiery relations between the two countries, but analysts warn that structural problems and military tensions could still lead to armed conflict if not managed properly. The recent diplomatic visits have not addressed the thorny issues of Taiwan and China's military ambitions, and China continues to view many US policies as hostile acts. Both governments are also preparing for increased strains in the relationship due to domestic US politics in the lead-up to the 2024 elections.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's two-day visit to China is seen as positive, with both countries agreeing to hold more high-level talks. However, the visit could put some US allies in a precarious position as relations between Beijing and Washington remain fragile, and nations in the region will continue to face pressure to take sides.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has begun two days of high-level diplomatic talks in Beijing with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, aimed at cooling the escalating US-China tensions. The talks are expected to cover a range of issues, including trade with Taiwan, human rights conditions in China and Hong Kong, Chinese military assertiveness in the South China Sea, and Russia’s war in Ukraine. Blinken will also be pressing the Chinese to release detained American citizens and to take steps to curb the production and export of fentanyl precursors that are fueling the opioid crisis in the United States. However, prospects for any significant breakthroughs are slim, as already strained ties have grown increasingly fraught in recent years.
Despite two days of high-level talks between Chinese officials and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, no significant progress was made on major contentious issues such as tech restrictions, the detention of a Japanese citizen, and regional conflicts. Observers say the talks failed to produce any breakthroughs.