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☆ Top Biden administration officials head to Asia to show China remains a top priority amid Israel-Hamas war
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Haley Britzky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Washington CNN —The Biden administration’s senior-most national security officials are traveling this week to the Indo-Pacific, signaling that the administration’s China strategy remains a priority as it grapples with an increasingly volatile Middle East. Blinken and Austin will both travel to India for a 2+2 Dialogue with their counterparts. Meanwhile, talks between US and Chinese officials stalled until this summer when Blinken met with senior Chinese officials in Beijing. Asked by CNN on Monday if Austin would be meeting with any PRC officials during his travel, Pentagon spokesman Brig. The senior officials’ travel also comes as the White House is preparing for a meeting between President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping later this month in San Francisco.

Persons: Washington CNN —, Biden, Antony Blinken, Defense Lloyd Austin, CQ Brown, Brown, Austin, Blinken, —, Nancy Pelosi’s, Ely Ratner, John Aquilino, “, ”, Li Shangfu, Pat Ryder, Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink, ” Kritenbrink, Blinken —, Israel —, ’, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, “ It’s, Karine Jean, Pierre said, Jennifer Hansler Organizations: Washington CNN, Biden administration’s, Defense, Joint Chiefs, Staff, West Bank, Security, Relations, US Air Force, US, East, Military, Pacific Command, ASEAN Defense, China’s, CNN, Pentagon, East Asian, Pacific Affairs, State Department, Hamas, Israel Locations: China, East, India, Indonesia, South Korea, Israel, Jordan, Turkey, Japan, Taiwan, Chinese, South China, Beijing, Pacific, Iranian, Iraq, Syria, Gaza, San Francisco

☆ Senior US, China diplomats meet in Washington in latest effort to maintain dialogue
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Kanishka Singh | Thomson Reuters | Kanishka Singh Is A Breaking News Reporter For Reuters In Washington Dc | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink met with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister for Asia Sun Weidong, the State Department said in a statement on Thursday. More recently, Blinken met Chinese Vice President Han Zheng in New York and U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Malta. KEY QUOTES"The two sides held a candid, in-depth, and constructive consultation on regional issues as part of ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communication," the State Department said. High-level talks between the two sides could help set the stage for a meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping later this year. Reporting by Kanishka Singh and Eric Beech in Washington; Editing by Sonali Paul and Michael PerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink, Antony Blinken, Janet Yellen, Gina Raimondo, Blinken, Han Zheng, Jake Sullivan, Wang Yi, Kritenbrink, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Kanishka Singh, Eric Beech, Sonali Paul, Michael Perry Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S, State, East Asian, Pacific Affairs, Foreign, Asia Sun Weidong, State Department, Thomson Locations: Washington, China, New York, U.S, Malta, Taiwan Strait, Myanmar, North Korea, Taiwan

☆ China's Wang Yi and US national security adviser Jake Sullivan meet in Malta for 'substantive and constructive' talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-17 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

China’s Foreign Ministry said the two sides agreed to continue high-level communication on several fronts, including consultations on Asia-Pacific affairs, maritime affairs, and foreign policy. Biden and Xi last met in November 2022 on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali. Military communicationThe two sides also discussed the need to re-establish military-to-military dialogue between the US and China, the senior Biden official said following the weekend meeting. Wang would visit the country between September 18 and 21, China’s Foreign Ministry said Monday. He is expected to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to discuss “a wide range of bilateral cooperation issues,” according to a statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry last week.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, Wang Yi, Jake Sullivan, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Xi, Biden, Wang, Sullivan, Nancy Pelosi, China’s, ’, Li Shangfu, Li, Qin Gang, Sergey Lavrov, Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, United, China’s, Ministry, Economic Cooperation, Biden, White, US, Party, Foreign Ministry, Chinese Defense, Communist Party, Foreign, Russian, Russian Foreign Ministry, North Locations: China, Hong Kong, United States, Malta, Asia, Pacific, Beijing, San Francisco, Bali, Washington, Taiwan, Taiwan Strait, ”, Ukraine, Moscow, Pyongyang

[1/2] White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan speaks during a press briefing at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., September 15, 2032. REUTERS/Sarah Silbiger/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON/BEIJING, Sept 17 (Reuters) - White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Malta this weekend, Beijing and Washington said on Sunday, as the world's two largest economies seek to stabilize troubled relations. Both sides held "candid, substantive and constructive" talks during multiple meetings held Sept. 16-17, according to separate statements from the White House and the Chinese foreign ministry published Sunday. China's foreign ministry said both sides agreed to maintain high-level exchanges and hold bilateral consultations on Asia-Pacific affairs, maritime affairs and foreign policy. Biden and Xi last met in 2022 on the sidelines of a G20 summit on Indonesia's resort island of Bali.

Persons: Jake Sullivan, Sarah Silbiger, Wang Yi, Wang, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Sullivan, Washington, Biden, Xi, Gina Raimondo, Antony Blinken, Janet Yellen, Steve Holland, Andrea Shalal, Laurie Chen, Jason Lange, Scott Malone, Will Dunham, Susan Fenton Organizations: White, National, Washington , D.C, REUTERS, WASHINGTON, White House, Foreign, Economic Cooperation, . Commerce, U.S, Thomson Locations: Washington ,, BEIJING, Malta, Beijing, Washington, Vienna, Asia, Pacific, Taiwan, United States, U.S, India, San Francisco, China, Bali

☆ Vice President Harris will face doubts and dysfunction at the Southeast Asian nations summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

It's Harris' third trip to Southeast Asia and fourth to Asia overall, and she's touched down in more countries there than any other continent. This latest journey is another opportunity for Harris to burnish her foreign policy credentials as she prepares for a bruising campaign year. Her office has not yet detailed her schedule, but she's expected to attend summit events and hold individual talks with some foreign leaders. U.S. officials and analysts believe Beijing's aggressive approach to the region has created an opening for Washington to forge stronger partnerships. Stilwell served as the assistant secretary of state for the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs under President Donald Trump.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Loy, Kent Nishimura, she'll, Joe Biden's, It's Harris, she's, Harris, She's, Biden, John Kirby, he's, Marty Natalegawa, Natalegawa, Kirby, Phil Gordon, there's, Gordon, Ian Chong, It's, Gregory B, Poling, David Stilwell, Stilwell, Donald Trump Organizations: Cabinet, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, U.S ., ASEAN, Loy Henderson International Conference, U.S . Department of State, Los Angeles Times, Getty, Democratic, Republican, White House, of Southeast Asian Nations, Washington, National University of Singapore, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Bureau, East, Pacific Affairs Locations: U.S, Washington , DC, Southeast Asia, Jakarta, Indonesia, Asia, Washington, India, Vietnam, Myanmar, South China, United States, China, Philippines, Cambodia, South, Beijing, People's Republic of China, East Asian

Waters had also served as the head of the Office of China Coordination - informally known as 'China House' - a unit the department created late last year to meld China policies across regions and issues. Whether Lambert will assume the China House coordinator title is still being discussed, sources said. It was unclear when the State Department will formally announce the appointment. The State Department pushed back on criticism about China House, saying it was one if its highest-functioning teams. Senior officials have acknowledged morale and staffing problems at China House, but denied they were linked to how the State department carries out China policy.

Persons: Mark Lambert, Lambert, Rick Waters, Waters, Joe Biden's, “, Biden, Xi Jinping, Daniel Kritenbrink, Humeyra Pamuk, Michael Martina, Don Durfee Organizations: U.S . State Department, of China Coordination, State Department, of, Washington, U.S, Pacific Affairs, Reuters, Republicans, Department, Thomson Locations: China, Taiwan, Beijing, East Asia, of China, U.S, People’s Republic of China, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, State, Lincoln

☆ Raimondo meets Chinese officials in 'tricky' visit as countries seek a more stable relationship
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo speaks during a Reuters interview at the Department of Commerce in Washington, September 23, 2021. U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo is set to meet with senior Chinese officials and U.S. business leaders in Beijing as the two countries continue high-level talks. Her trip is a crucial but also a tough one to tread with U.S.-China economic ties hanging in the balance, according to a former senior U.S. diplomat. Thornton previously served as acting assistant secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs at the State Department. She said Raimondo would want to "get some business done for U.S. businesses," on top of promoting and stabilizing trade relations with China.

Persons: Gina Raimondo, Gina Raimondo's, Susan Thornton, CNBC's, Thornton, She, Raimondo, Paul Tsai Organizations: Commerce, Department of Commerce, East Asian, Pacific Affairs, State Department, Paul Tsai China Center, Yale Law School Locations: Washington, Beijing, China, U.S

"What we have seen over the last couple of months is a breathtaking kind of diplomacy, that has been led by courageous leaders in both Japan and South Korea," said Kurt Campbell, Biden's coordinator for Indo-Pacific affairs. CHINA VIEWS SUMMIT WARILYNo specific action by the trio in Camp David is expected to sharply increase tensions with China, though Beijing has warned that U.S. efforts to strengthen ties with South Korea and Japan could "increase tension and confrontation in the region." While South Korea, Japan and the United States want to avoid provoking Beijing, China believes Washington is trying to isolate it diplomatically and encircle it militarily. South Korea has legislative elections next year and Japan must hold one before October 2025, and what analysts see as a still fragile rapprochement between the two nations remains controversial among the countries' voters. The White House, conscious of the electoral clock, wants to make the progress between South Korea and Japan hard to reverse, including by establishing routine cooperation on military exercises, ballistic missile defense, the economy, and scientific and technological research.

Persons: Joe Biden, Fumio Kishida, Yoon Suk, Jonathan Ernst, David, Joe Biden's, Biden, Yoon Suk Yeol, Kurt Campbell, Campbell, Camp David, Donald Trump, Trevor Hunnicutt, David Brunnstrom, Andrea Shalal, Don Durfee, Grant McCool Organizations: Japan’s, Grand Prince Hotel, REUTERS, U.S, South, Biden, Republican, Thomson Locations: Hiroshima, Japan, HAGERSTOWN , Maryland, United States, South Korea, U.S, Seoul, Tokyo, Korean, CHINA, China, Beijing, Washington, North Korea, Russia, South China, Philippines, Philippine, Hagerstown , Maryland

☆ China's growing aggression will be in focus as U.S. closes ranks with Japan and South Korea
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Sumathi Bala | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

President Joe Biden will unveil the measures with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol at Camp David on Friday, said Kurt Campbell, the White House coordinator for Indo-Pacific affairs. Most countries in the region have "deep, profound economic and political interests," and a "steady and stable relationship" with China, Campbell added. watch nowChina has "warned Tokyo and Seoul against pursuing greater trilateral security cooperation with Washington, but its diplomatic pressure is backfiring," they added. "What President Yoon and Prime Minister Kishida have done has defied expectations. In March, Yoon's government announced a landmark agreement over compensation payments for South Korean victims of Japanese wartime forced labor.

Persons: Joe Biden, Fumio Kishida, Yoon Suk, Brendan SMIALOWSKI, BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI, Brendan Smialowski, David, Kurt Campbell, Camp David, Biden, Campbell, Victor Cha, Cha, Wang Wenbin, Beijing Campbell, Rahm Emanuel, Kishida, Yoon, we've, Yoon's Organizations: Japan's, South, Getty, Afp, Biden, Japanese, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Washington, White, CSIS Locations: Hiroshima, AFP, Japan, South Korea, Camp, Washington, Asia, Korea, Ukraine, Beijing, U.S, China, United States, America, America … China, warily, Eurasia, Tokyo, Seoul, South

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi poses as he meets Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (not seen) in Ankara, Turkey, July 26, 2023. Stringer/Pool via REUTERS/File PhotoWASHINGTON, Aug 1 (Reuters) - The United States has formally invited China's newly reappointed foreign minister, Wang Yi, to Washington, the U.S. State Department said on Tuesday, after Wang's predecessor was abruptly removed from his post by Beijing. "In the meeting yesterday, we extended the invitation that had previously been made to foreign minister Qin Gang and made clear that invitation did transfer over," Miller said. The U.S. State Department said then they held "candid, substantive, and constructive" talks, and Blinken invited Qin to Washington to continue discussions. Wang, 69, served as foreign minister from 2013-2022 as ties frayed with the United States to a point Beijing described as an all-time low.

Persons: Wang Yi, Hakan Fidan, Stringer, China's, Wang, Qin Gang, Qin, Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink, Yang Tao, Matthew Miller, Miller, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Simon Lewis, Humeyra Pamuk, David Brunnstrom, Sandra Maler, Alistair Bell Organizations: Turkish, United, U.S . State Department, State Department, U.S, East, Pacific Affairs, North, Oceania Affairs, China's Foreign Ministry, State, Washington, Thomson Locations: Ankara, Turkey, United States, Washington, Beijing, China, East Asia, North American, U.S, Jakarta, Qin's

☆ Prigozhin's uprising failed, but it triggered China's 'psychology about warlords,' top White House official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

A brief, failed revolt by Russian mercenaries in June raised doubts about Putin's hold on power. It also worried officials in China, which has its own history with "warlords," a US official said. They were unnerved by what happened two weekends ago in Moscow," Campbell said in an interview with The Wire China published on July 16, after several senior US officials visited China. China presented a peace plan in April — shortly after President Xi Jinping visited Moscow — that was widely seen as vague and self-interested. Putin and Xi have been a driving force behind the strengthening of Sino-Russian relations over the past 15 years.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin's, Vladimir Putin's, Putin, Prigozhin, Kurt Campbell, Campbell, Xi Jinping, Wagner, We've, Putin Putin, SERGEI GUNEYEV, Yu Sui, Joseph Torigian, China's, Torigian, Xi, Ryan Haas, PAVEL BYRKIN, Haas, Obama, Mark Galeotti, Galeotti Organizations: Service, Pacific Affairs, White House National Security Council, China, Wagner Group, REUTERS, Kremlin, SPUTNIK, Getty, Chinese Communist Party tabloid Global Times, Communist, Central Propaganda Department, China Center, Contemporary World, American University, Brookings Institution, The New York Times, Getty Images, National Security Locations: Russian, China, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Moscow, Ukraine, —, Rostov, Beijing, lockstep, Getty Images Beijing

[1/2] The South Korean and American flags fly next to each other at Yongin, South Korea, August 23, 2016. Officials from the United States and South Korea are meeting on Tuesday in Seoul for the first Nuclear Consultative Group discussion, aimed at better coordinating allied nuclear response in the event of a war with North Korea. China and North Korea have criticised the group's formation as further raising tensions on the Korean peninsula. When asked whether South Korea will have a role in U.S. nuclear war planning, a senior U.S. administration official told Reuters the group was more about sharing information. "We will discuss information sharing, consultation system, steps for joint planning and implementation to strengthen nuclear deterrence against North Korea," Yoon's spokesperson, Lee Do-woon, told reporters on Monday.

Persons: Ken Scar, Yoon Suk Yeol, Yoon, Kim Tae, Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell, Lee, woon, General John Weidner, Josh Smith, Steve Holland, David Brunnstrom, hyang Choi, Ed Davies, Stephen Coates Organizations: . Army, REUTERS, Nuclear, Monday, South, Reuters, South Korea's, . National Security, Pacific Affairs, . U.S, U.S . Forces, Thomson Locations: Yongin, South Korea, SEOUL, United States, North Korea, Seoul, Korea, U.S, Washington, China, ., U.S . Forces Korea, Lincoln

☆ Solomon Islands leader visits security partner China with focus on infrastructure
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SYDNEY, July 9 (Reuters) - Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare arrives in China on Sunday for his first visit since striking a security deal, pledging to "remain neutral" amid rising China-U.S. competition and prioritise his nation's development needs. Western analysts said Sogavare would be feted after signing the security pact that alarmed Washington and some Pacific Islands neighbours including Australia last year. China's foreign ministry said China and the Solomon Islands had "contributed to peace, stability and development in the region", and the two countries leaders would discuss international and regional issues. China has constructed the stadium, is advising on security, and will train 80 Solomon Islands athletes arriving in China this week. Solomon Islands has one of the closest relationships with China in the region, said Meg Keen, director of the Lowy Institute's Pacific Islands program.

Persons: Manasseh Sogavare, Sogavare, Graeme Smith, Meg Keen, Lowy, Kirsty Needham, Kim Coghill Organizations: SYDNEY, Solomon Islands, Papua New, Huawei, Pacific Games, Solomon, Australian National University, Thomson Locations: Solomon, China, U.S, Washington, Australia, Papua, Papua New Guinea, Britain, Honiara, Chinese, Honiara's, Beijing, Jiangsu, Guangdong, India, Gulf, Taiwan, Pacific, Japan

☆ Ambitious plans for US-India technology sharing face hurdles
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( David Brunnstrom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Standing in the way are strict U.S. rules governing export of defense technology, including International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). Ely Ratner, assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific affairs, has stressed the need to break down barriers to technology sharing with allies and partners, including India. But one congressional aide said efforts to speed technology sharing with India would face "an uphill battle" both in the U.S. Congress and at the U.S. State Department, where officials have a specific obligation to protect U.S. technology. "There are concerns about (technology sharing) in the Australia context and there would be more concerns in the India context," he said. Rick Rossow, an India expert at Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies, said approval processes for advanced defense technology transfer were "onerous but not impossible."

Persons: Joe Biden, Narendra Modi, Elizabeth Frantz WASHINGTON, Biden, Ely Ratner, Democrat Mark Warner, Republican John Cornyn, Bill Greenwalt, Greenwalt, ITAR, Rick Rossow, David Brunnstrom, Mike Stone, Patricia Zengerle, Don Durfee, Deepa Babington Organizations: India's, White, REUTERS, United, Indian, General Electric Co, Center, New, New American Security, TECH, U.S . Senate India Caucus, Democrat, Republican, U.S . Congress, U.S . State Department, Pentagon, GE, State Department, U.S . Missile Technology Control, Washington's Center, Strategic, International Studies, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, United States, India, New Delhi, Asia, U.S, Britain, Australia, New American, Russia, Ukraine, Delhi

☆ North Korea criticises Blinken's China visit as 'begging trip'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with China's Director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission Wang Yi (not pictured) at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China, June 19, 2023. REUTERS/Leah Millis/PoolSEOUL, June 21 (Reuters) - North Korea on Wednesday criticised U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken's recent visit to Beijing as a "begging trip" to ease tensions in what it called a policy failure to pressure China. Blinken said after the meeting on Monday that he urged China to encourage North Korea to stop launching missiles as Beijing holds a "unique position" to press Pyongyang to engage in dialogue. "In a word, the U.S. state secretary's recent junket can never be judged otherwise than a disgraceful begging trip of the provoker admitting the failure of the policy of putting pressure on China," the commentary said. Reporting by Soo-hyang Choi; Editing by Sonali PaulOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Central Foreign Affairs Commission Wang Yi, Leah Millis, State Anthony Blinken's, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Blinken, Jong Yong Hak, Daniel Kritenbrink, Soo, hyang Choi, Sonali Paul Organizations: China's, Central Foreign Affairs Commission, REUTERS, Wednesday, U.S, State, East Asian, Pacific Affairs, Thomson Locations: Diaoyutai, Beijing, China, Pool SEOUL, North Korea, U.S, Pyongyang, U.S ., United States, Japan, India, Australia, Britain, South Korea, Seoul, South

[1/2] U.S. President Joe Biden meets with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S., September 24, 2021. Washington also wants to wean India away from its traditional defence partner Russia. Though Modi has made several previous visits to the United States, this will be his first with the full diplomatic status of an official state visit, just the third of Biden's presidency and third by any Indian leader. "It’s a milestone in our relationship...It is a very significant visit, very important visit," India’s Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra told reporters on Monday. Modi will also meet American CEOs and lead an International Yoga Day event at the UN headquarters.

Persons: Joe Biden, Narendra Modi, Evelyn Hockstein, Modi, Vinay Kwatra, Kwatra, General, Ely Ratner, Biden, Kamala Harris, Antony Blinken, Raja Mohan, Krishn Kaushik, Sarita Chaganti Singh, David Brunnstrom Organizations: India's, White, REUTERS, Indian, . Congress, JET, General Electric, U.S ., Defense, Pacific Affairs, UN, Asia Society Policy, Rajesh, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, India, DELHI, WASHINGTON, United States, Washington, Washington and New Delhi, Pacific . Washington, Russia, New Delhi, Moscow, Ukraine, West, China, Cooperation, New York, U.S, Asia, NEW DELHI

I think neither side wants to look as if they’re accepting or acquiescing to the other’s actions,” she said. But hope might not turn into reality, and relations might become worse after the visit,” he added. “We prepare for the worst and hope for the best.”Blinken would not predict whether his visit would pave the way for continued high-level engagements between the US and China. “As to what comes next, let’s see how the visit goes,” the top US diplomat said Friday, referencing comments from his Singaporean counterpart. “This is an important but, in a sense, insufficient step because there’s a lot of work to be done.”

Persons: Antony Blinken, Joe, Biden, Xi, ” Blinken, Vivian Balakrishnan, Blinken, “, Daniel Kritenbrink, “ we’re, ” Patricia Kim, ”, ’ Blinken, Kai Li, Mark Swidan, David Lin, Jake Sullivan, Wang Yi, Shen Dingli, Defense Lloyd Austin, Li Shangfu, Shen, ” Shen Organizations: CNN, senior State Department, Singaporean, State, East Asian, Pacific Affairs, Brookings Institution, Saturday, Defense, Chinese Defense, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Locations: Beijing, United States, China, Bali, Taiwan, Ukraine, Vienna, Washington, Shanghai, Singapore

☆ Blinken to travel to China this weekend as US looks to reset relations after spy balloon incident
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Beijing this weekend, the State Department announced on Wednesday – a significant trip that comes as the Biden administration navigates its complicated relationship with China. Blinken was originally set to travel to Beijing in early February, but postponed his trip due to a Chinese spy balloon transiting the US. Blinken will be the first Cabinet official to travel to China under the Biden administration, and the first since 2019. Blinken will ‘advocate strongly’ for military to military communicationsPrior to the public announcement of the trip, Blinken spoke by phone with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang. Campbell told reporters that Blinken will “advocate strongly” for the need for appropriate military to military communications.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Biden, Blinken, “, Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink, ”, Jake Sullivan, Kritenbrink, Kurt Campbell, Matthew Miller, Xi Jinping, Campbell, Qin Gang, Qin, ” Kritenbrink, ” Campbell, National Defense Li Shangfu, Defense Lloyd Austin, “ We’ve, Mark Swidan, Kai Li, David Lin Organizations: CNN, State Department, State, East Asian, Pacific Affairs, National, “, Foreign, Ministry, China’s, National Defense, Defense Locations: Beijing, China, United States, Taiwan, Ukraine, Russia, Singapore

Statements from Washington and Beijing on meetings between Daniel Kritenbrink, assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, and Chinese officials including Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu were positive, describing the talks as candid and productive. But critics have questioned U.S. overtures to China, arguing that past decades of engagement have failed to change Beijing's behaviour. "We're working hard to manage the relationship as best as we possibly can," said Kritenbrink, when asked by reporters in Beijing on Tuesday about the current state of bilateral ties. Asked if Blinken would visit China soon, Kritenbrink said: "We'll see, I have nothing to announce." Reporting by Ryan Woo and Ella Cao; Editing by Kim Coghill and Michael PerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Daniel Kritenbrink, Ma Zhaoxu, Kritenbrink, Lloyd Austin, Joe Biden's, Antony Blinken, Washington, Blinken, Biden, Xi Jinping, Ryan Woo, Ella Cao, Kim Coghill, Michael Perry Organizations: U.S, East Asian, Pacific Affairs, Foreign, U.S ., . Defense, U.S . State Department, ., Global Times, Economic Cooperation, APEC, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, Beijing, Washington, U.S, Chinese, Taiwan, South China, United States, Asia, San Francisco

☆ Chinese state media dismiss U.S. diplomat's Beijing visit
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BEIJING, June 5 (Reuters) - A Chinese state-backed newspaper criticised the visit of a senior U.S. State Department official to China, saying his visit was motivated more by Washington's own goal to portray itself as the side seeking communication and not Beijing. Sino-U.S. relations have sunk to new lows since U.S. State Secretary Antony Blinken scrapped a planned trip to China in February after an alleged Chinese spy balloon flew through U.S. airspace. Some experts have great doubts as to whether the U.S. side can inject some positive energy into bilateral relations ahead of the next U.S. presidential elections, the Global Times said. "The U.S. has been seeking dialogue while continuing to be provocative," it reported, quoting an expert at a Chinese state think tank. "We haven't seen any positive statements from the U.S. concerning the core interests or bilateral relations."

Persons: Washington's, Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink, Antony Blinken, Laura Rosenberger, Lloyd Austin, Li Shangfu, Ryan Woo, Ben Blanchard, Michael Perry, Stephen Coates Organizations: U.S . State Department, United, Global Times, State, East Asian, Pacific Affairs, State Department, American Institute, Washington, Central News Agency, . Defense, China's, Austin, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, U.S, China, Beijing, United States, Taiwan, South China, Taipei, Singapore, Russia

☆ Biden will ‘at some point’ meet with China’s Xi Jinping, top White House official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( Sam Fossum | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —President Joe Biden will “at some point” meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan, as the two countries work to reset normal relations amid what has been an extremely tumultuous and tense year in the relationship. And then, at some point, we will see President Biden and President Xi come back together again,” Sullivan told CNN’s Fareed Zakaria in an interview on “GPS” that aired Sunday. That is the firm conviction of President Biden,” Sullivan added. The incident marked the second time in two weeks that Chinese military personnel have engaged in aggressive maneuvers in the vicinity of US military personnel near China’s border. Tensions between Washington and Beijing soared in February after a suspected Chinese spy balloon flew over the continental US and was subsequently shot down by the American military.

Persons: Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Jake Sullivan, “, Biden, Xi, ” Sullivan, CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, Sullivan’s, Antony Blinken, ”, Qin Gang, Sullivan, Wang Yi, it’s, Zakaria, Zelensky Organizations: CNN, White House, GPS, Canadian, State Department, East Asian, United, Ukrainian, US, Russian Locations: United States, Taiwan, China’s, South, Washington, Beijing, China, reengage, Vienna, Bali , Indonesia, Ukraine, Kyiv, Russia, Russian, Berdiansk

☆ Senior U.S. State Department official to visit China next week amid tense ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, June 3 (Reuters) - A senior U.S. State Department official will travel to China next week, the department said on Saturday, as Washington seeks to boost communication with Beijing at a time of tense relations between the two countries. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink will discuss "key issues in the bilateral relationship" during his visit to China, the State Department said in a statement. He will be joined by White House National Security Council Senior Director for China and Taiwan Affairs Sarah Beran. During his travels from Sunday to June 10, Kritenbrink will also visit New Zealand to participate in the U.S.-New Zealand Strategic Dialogue, the department said. Kritenbrink’s trip follows a visit last month to China by CIA Director William Burns.

Persons: Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink, Sarah Beran, Kritenbrink, William Burns, Burns, Lloyd Austin, Austin, Antony Blinken, Janet Yellen, Gina Raimondo, Eric Beech, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: U.S . State Department, U.S, State, East Asian, Pacific Affairs, State Department, White House National Security, CIA, . Defense, Blinken, Thomson Locations: China, Washington, Beijing, Taiwan, South China, New Zealand, U.S, Zealand

☆ US stands with Philippines against Chinese 'intimidation' in S. China Sea - official
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Karen Lema | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 3 (Reuters) - The United States stands with treaty ally the Philippines in the face of harassment by China's coast guard in the South China Sea and remains deeply concerned about "intimidation" by Beijing, a senior U.S. official said on Tuesday. The Philippines on Friday accused China's coast guard of "dangerous manoeuvres" and "aggressive tactics" in the South China Sea, in another maritime confrontation between the two countries. China said the Philippines vessels made "deliberate provocative moves". Kritenbrink also said the United States and its partners recognised the importance of maintaining peace across the Taiwan Strait. Under Rodrigo Duterte, Marcos' anti-U.S. predecessor, relations soured as he sought to court China while openly rebuking Washington.

☆ Russia will have to rely on nukes, cyberattacks, and China since its military is being thrashed in Ukraine, US intel director says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Chris Panella | John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russia's military losses in Ukraine will leave it reliant on "asymmetric" options, the US intel director said. Discussions on Russia's relationship with China have also been ongoing, including speculation that Beijing might be considering sending lethal aid to Russia. In late February, a top Pentagon official told lawmakers Russia had lost the war and will emerge from war in Ukraine a "shattered military power." "Russia's invasion of Ukraine has been a strategic defeat. Russia's military is going to have to be rebuilt," George Barros, a military analyst at the Institute for the Study of War, told Insider in September.

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