US-China ties: Blinken lands in Beijing ahead of Modi's state visit to the US, growing chip wars

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Beijing on Sunday (June 17), nearly five months after Washington's ties with world's second biggest economy deteriorated over  Chinese spy balloons and escalating chip wars. Blinken's visit comes ahead of India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state visit to the United States, with China repetitively deemed a geopolitical player that both New Delhi and Washington find unreliable primarily due to its territorial assertiveness in the region.

Blinken is the highest-ranking US government official to visit China since the US President Joe Biden took office in January 2021.

Antony Blinken's China visit: What does it entail?

Blinken is expected to meet with Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang, country's top diplomat Wang Yi.

Also read | Blinken warns China’s Wang Yi that spy balloon incident ‘must never occur again’

It remains unclear if Blinken would meet the Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

Antony Blinken's China visit: Key priorities

Blinken would aim to break a bilateral situation which is currently one of tough posturing and statements besides growing lack of mutual trust between the two economic and military powers. Foremost, Blinken's visit is about re-establishing diplomatic interactions with due bilateral moments of courtesy.

Secondly, the trade conflict between the United States and China continues to be the most rocky part of bilateral pathway that Blinken would attempt to pave next week while in Beijing. Biden has not withdrawn the import tariffs imposed by erstwhile Donald Trump's administration.

China has responded by enacting its own ban on computer memory chips sold by Micron, the top semiconductor player in the United States.

The rest of the world will closely follow Blinken's trip as any escalation between the two  superpowers could have worldwide repercussions on everything from financial markets to trade routes and practices and global supply chains.

"There's a recognition on both sides that we do need to have senior-level channels of communication," a senior State Department official told reporters during a refuelling stop in Tokyo on the way to Beijing.

Also watch | Blinken stresses on better US-China communications as he heads to Beijing

"That we are at an important point in the relationship where I think reducing the risk of miscalculation, or as our Chinese friends often say, stopping the downward spiral in the relationship, is something that's important," the official said.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday before departing for Beijing, Blinken said his trip had three main objectives: Setting up mechanisms for crisis management, advancing U.S. and allies' interests and speaking directly about related concerns, and exploring areas of potential cooperation.

"If we want to make sure, as we do, that the competition that we have with China doesn't veer into conflict, the place you start is with communicating," Blinken said. He said he would also be raising the issue of U.S. citizens detained in China on charges Washington says are politically motivated.

US-China ties: New Delhi an X-factor

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi would embark on a state visit to the United States next week. Prior to that, reports have emerged that months after being banned by China, Micron is likely to announce an investment potentially up to $2 billion for semiconductors packaging facility in India.

Also read | Modi expects to trump China with landmark semiconductor deal during US visit

Meanwhile, continuing standoff between Indian and Chinese forces at unresolved international boundary in the Himalayas have pushed New Delhi to immediately assort top defence equipment such as MQ-9 Reaper or Predator B drones.

India's defence ministry has reportedly approved a $3bn drone deal with the United States for Modi's state visit. China's continued territorial assertions, thereby, have been bringing New Delhi and Washington closer. 
 

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