“Beijing agreed to the visit because it seems to be the one thing that is blocking many other things, such as working level dialogues and the visits by other cabinet members,” said Yun Sun, the director of the China program at the Washington-based Stimson Center.“It is also important for China not to appear to be the one rejecting dialogue, especially when the U.S. has been pushing for it,” she said.
“I think we gain and China gains from trade and investment that is as open as possible and it would be disastrous for us to attempt to decouple from China,” Yellen told a House Financial Services Committee hearing on Tuesday. Chinese officials have not given any details of Blinken’s visit. According to the State Department, Blinken will meet senior Chinese officials Sunday and Monday, including Foreign Minister Qin. After meeting Gates on Friday, it would be a notable snub if Xi didn’t see Blinken.
China also has areas where it could compromise and collaborate, according to Wang of Peking University. These include climate change, public health and counternarcotics efforts.Yet one critical sticking point for Beijing is continued U.S. support for Taiwan, which China worries is increasing and undermining U.S. adherence to the “One China” policy.