This week, U.S. Secretary of State Abraham Blinken became the first U.S. Secretary of State to visit China in five years. His meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping drew much attention and discussion. However, in a surprise move, U.S. President Joe Biden suddenly criticized Xi Jinping as a "dictator" at a campaign reception where no media interviews were scheduled. The comment cast a dark shadow over the normalization of Sino-U.S. relations and raised doubts about the future of the relationship.
During Blinken's visit, both China and the United States expressed a desire to stabilize relations, but U.S. efforts to reopen military communication channels failed. China emphasized that the U.S. side should "reflect" on the current stalemate in bilateral relations, and said that of the many issues in U.S.-China relations, none was more important than the Taiwan issue.
After Blinken's departure from China, Biden described the U.S.-China relationship as being on the "right track" in public, but the following day he publicly criticized Xi Jinping as a "dictator," drawing strong criticism from Beijing. The Chinese Embassy in the U.S. made "solemn representations and strong protests" to the U.S. government, urging the U.S. side to take concrete actions to eliminate the negative impact.
Although it is widely believed that Blinken's visit to China has taken an important step toward restoring the healthy development of bilateral relations, several observers have pointed out that whether Sino-U.S. relations can truly return to normal still needs to be carefully observed.
Summary:
This week, U.S. Secretary of State Lincoln's visit to China and Biden's "dictator" comments about Xi Jinping sparked controversy in U.S.-China relations. While Blinken's meeting with Xi expressed a desire to stabilize relations, U.S. President Joe Biden's "dictator" comment triggered a strong protest from the Chinese side. The Chinese Embassy in the U.S. made serious representations to the U.S. government and urged the U.S. side to take action to eliminate the negative impact. In response, Biden said he did not believe there would be any real consequences.
This series of events has cast a cloud over the future development of Sino-U.S. relations and raised doubts about whether the two countries can truly return to normal. Although Blinken's visit to China is seen as an important step in the restoration of bilateral relations, many observers remain cautious and believe that the normalization of U.S.-China relations still requires further observation and efforts.
In addition to developments in United States-China relations, other important events took place this week. The disappearance of a small submersible traveling to visit the wreck of the Titanic triggered a multinational search operation, which led to the discovery of the wreckage and the announcement by the ship's owner company that the person in charge and four other passengers had been killed. However, the investigation into the accident is still ongoing.
In addition, a BBC reporter recently published a report on the suffering under North Korea's blockade of the country's borders. North Korea sealed its borders and cut itself off from the world in the immediate aftermath of the outbreak of Shin-Kwan disease in early 2020. By secretly contacting three North Korean residents, the BBC reporter revealed the unknown plight and suffering under the tight blockade.
This is a review of the important events that took place this week. Developments in Sino-American relations, as well as other events, will continue to be watched. [Read More]
