FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
June 16, 2023
Contact: press@defensepriorities.org
WASHINGTON, DC—Today, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken begins his visit to Beijing. Defense Priorities Director of Asia Engagement Lyle Goldstein issued the following statement in response:
“Secretary Blinken’s trip to Beijing is long overdue; it is the first visit in nearly five years to the Chinese capital by a U.S. secretary of state. The ‘diplomatic pause’ has contributed in no small part to the growing tensions in the bilateral relationship and in world politics more generally.
“To have a successful meeting with his Chinese counterparts, Secretary Blinken should emphasize cooperation and responsible competition. There are many issues Washington and Beijing could work on constructively together, especially in the economic, environmental, and diplomatic domains. Treasury Secretary Yellen has stated that ‘decoupling’ from China would be a disaster for U.S. national interests. Secretary Blinken should keep this in mind and aim to support such cooperative endeavors, rather than constrain them, even as the U.S. protects itself from Chinese economic malfeasance. Likewise, there are a variety of crisis situations, including Ukraine, that would benefit from cooperative and pragmatic U.S.-China efforts to bring about peace and stability.
“Of course, there are numerous flashpoints in the relationship that are certain to arise; none more perilous than Taiwan—an ongoing crisis with the prospect of developing into a catastrophic great power war. Here, Secretary Blinken should underline America’s commitment to the status quo by supporting the ‘one China’ policy formula that dates back to the Nixon Administration. That policy, along with ‘strategic ambiguity,’ has maintained the peace for more than five decades. A similarly delicate balance should be maintained with regard to recent risky interactions between Chinese and U.S. military forces in the region. Secretary Blinken should vigorously protest unsafe Chinese maneuvers, while he also advocates to strengthen communications and engagement between the two military establishments.
“A strong vision for responsible competition that includes pragmatic and creative diplomacy is in the interests of Beijing and Washington alike.”
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