Blinken’s China visit marked the first visit to China by a U.S. Secretary of State since Joe Biden took office as the U.S. President, and the first visit by a U.S. Secretary of State to China since 2018. His visit to China has drawn significant attention from China watchers and the international community.

Today’s newsletter included two parts: firstly, the Chinese readout of the meeting between Xi Jinping and Blinken, and secondly, a translated interview of Professor Wu Xinbo, dean of the Institute of International Studies and director of the Center for American Studies at Fudan University. Professor Wu shared his views on the significance of Blinken’s visit to the China-U.S. relations.

Part 1: Chinese readout of Xi-Blinken meeting in Beijing

1) The Chinese readout via Xinhua

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the Great Hall of the People on Monday.

Noting that the world is developing and the times are changing, Xi said the world needs a generally stable China-U.S. relationship, and whether the two countries can find the right way to get along bears on the future and destiny of humanity.

Xi pointed out that the vast expanse of the Earth is big enough to accommodate the respective development and common prosperity of China and the United States. The Chinese, like the Americans, are dignified, confident and self-reliant people, Xi said, adding that they both have the right to pursue a better life. "The common interests of the two countries should be valued, and their respective success is an opportunity instead of a threat to each other."

Xi said the international community is generally concerned about the current state of China-U.S. relations. "It does not want to see conflict or confrontation between China and the United States or choose sides between the two countries, and it expects the two countries to coexist in peace and have friendly and cooperative relations."

The two countries should act with a sense of responsibility for history, for the people and for the world, and handle China-U.S. relations properly, Xi said, adding that in this way, they may contribute to global peace and development, and help make the world, which is changing and turbulent, more stable, certain and constructive.

Xi stressed that major-country competition does not represent the trend of the times, still less can it solve America's own problems or the challenges facing the world. China respects U.S. interests and does not seek to challenge or displace the United States, and in the same vein, the United States needs to respect China and must not hurt China's legitimate rights and interests, said Xi. "Neither side should try to shape the other side by its own will, still less deprive the other side of its legitimate right to development."

Xi said China always hopes to see a sound and steady China-U.S. relationship and believes that the two major countries can overcome various difficulties and find the right way to get along based on mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, calling on the U.S. side to adopt a rational and pragmatic attitude and work with China in the same direction.

Xi pointed out that the two sides need to remain committed to the common understandings he and President Biden reached in Bali, and translate the positive statements into actions so as to stabilize and improve China-U.S. relations.

For his part, Blinken conveyed President Biden's greetings to President Xi. He said President Biden believes that the United States and China have an obligation to responsibly manage their relations, adding that this is in the interests of the United States, China and the world.

The United States is committed to returning to the agenda set by the two presidents in Bali, Blinken said, adding that the United States stands by the commitments made by President Biden, namely that the United States does not seek a new Cold War, it does not seek to change China's system, its alliances are not directed at China, it does not support "Taiwan independence," and it does not seek conflict with China.

The U.S. side looks forward to having high-level engagement with the Chinese side, keeping open lines of communication, responsibly managing differences, and pursuing dialogue, exchanges and cooperation, he added.

Xi asked Blinken to convey his regards to President Biden.

Wang Yi and Qin Gang, among others, were present at the meeting.

2) The U.S. readout on the conversation between Secretary Antony J. Blinken And People’s Republic of China President Xi Jinping Before Their Meeting

PRESIDENT XI: (Via interpreter) Mr. Secretary, welcome to China. Director Wang Yi and State Councilor Qin Gang have met or held talks with you at length, and generally speaking the two sides have had candid (inaudible) discussions. The Chinese side has made our decision clear, and the two sides have agreed to follow through the common understandings President Biden and I had reached in Bali. The two sides have also made progress and reached agreement on some specific issues. This is very good.

It’s safe to say that interactions should always be based on mutual respect and sincerity. I hope that through this visit, Mr. Secretary, you will make more positive contributions to stabilizing China-U.S. relations.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Mr. President, thank you for receiving us today. President Biden asked me to travel to Beijing because he believes that the United States and China have an obligation and responsibility to manage our relationship. The United States is committed to doing that. It’s in the interest of the United States, in the interests of China, and in the interest of the world.

Over the past few days I have had candid and constructive conversations with State Councilor Qin Gang and Director Wang Yi. We covered a broad range of both bilateral and global issues. I appreciate this opportunity to discuss the way forward with you. Thank you.

UPDATE: The U.S. State Department’s readout is now available:

Secretary Blinken’s Visit to the People’s Republic of China (PRC)

Part 2: Professor Wu Xinbo’s view on Blinken’s China visit

In a recent interview with The Paper, Wu Xinbo, dean of the Institute of International Studies and director of the Center for American Studies at Fudan University, said that Blinken’s visit was a consensus reached during the meeting between the two heads of state in November last year. It is a vital link to promote high-level exchanges between the two countries, and at the same time, this visit also intends to confirm with China the “road map” and “timetable” for the following high-level exchanges between the two sides.

According to Wu Xinbo, China and the U.S. may gradually resume their dialogues in the economic, trade, and climate fields for some time to come. Part of the “three cancellations and five suspensions“, countermeasures announced by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in response to the then U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to China’s Taiwan region, are expected to be removed.

In addition, there may be some progress in cultural exchanges between China and the U.S. Apart from the issues above, Wu believes that, more importantly, Blinken and other US officials are closely monitoring whether Chinese leaders will attend the APEC summit in November in San Francisco.

Here are some excerpts from the interview, with certain omissions in Wu Xinbo’s responses regarding the potential topics that Blinken’s visit to China may address, since the specifics of Blinken’s three meetings with Chinese leaders have already been officially released.

How to define the nature of Blinken’s China visit?

The Paper: How should we define the nature of Blinken’s visit and the political signals it sends? Can it be seen as an “ice-breaker” in bilateral relations?

Wu: In fact, Blinken’s visit to China now aligns with the consensus reached during the meeting between the Chinese and U.S. presidents in Bali last November to advance high-level exchanges between the two countries. Previously, the visit had been postponed due to the “balloon incident” and Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen’s so-called “transit” trip through the United States.

However, this visit cannot be exactly considered as an “ice-breaker” since there have been prior contacts between China and the United States at the high-level. From May 10 to 11, Wang Yi met with Jake Sullivan, U.S. National Security Advisor, in Vienna. [Editor’s note: It counts as the highest-level contact between the two countries since the “balloon incident”]

From May 25 to 26, China’s Commerce Minister Wang Wentao met with US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and US Trade Representative Katherine Tai respectively in Washington.

Therefore, Blinken’s visit can be seen as a willingness from both China and the United States to end the recent deadlock and continue advancing high-level interactions. The aim is to address prominent issues within the bilateral relationship and promote coordination and cooperation on certain matters. As for the outcome of this visit, it would require further bilateral interactions to make a definitive assessment.

What communication channels between the two countries are likely to be restored?

The Paper: As far as you know, what communication channels between the two countries are likely to be restored in the days to come? In what fields can the two countries be expected to reach consensus?

Wu: First and foremost is the communication between the commercial and trade sector of the two countries. For instance, many are discussing the expected visits of U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. U.S. climate envoy John Kerry is also expected to visit China. These are some of the fields where bilateral dialogues and exchanges may likely resume. We may even have U.S. secretary of transportation in China to discuss the issue regarding the airlines connecting the two countries. Two of the major issues that obstruct the flow of people between China and the U.S. are overpriced airline tickets and too few airlines.

In the meantime, we are looking at the possible resumption of certain mechanisms which were suspended or canceled as part of China’s countermeasures in response to Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi’s visited to the Taiwan region last year, including the talks on climate change and cooperation against transnational crimes:

BEIJING, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) — In disregard of China’s strong opposition and serious representations, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi visited China’s Taiwan region. Chinese Foreign Ministry on Friday announced the following countermeasures in response:

1. 1. 1. Canceling China-U.S. Theater Commanders Talk.
      2. Canceling China-U.S. Defense Policy Coordination Talks (DPCT).
      3. Canceling China-U.S. Military Maritime Consultative Agreement (MMCA) meetings.
      4. Suspending China-U.S. cooperation on the repatriation of illegal immigrants.
      5. Suspending China-U.S. cooperation on legal assistance in criminal matters.
      6. Suspending China-U.S. cooperation against transnational crimes.
      7. Suspending China-U.S. counternarcotics cooperation.
      8. Suspending China-U.S. talks on climate change

As for the two militaries, it is expected that one or two work-level exchange mechanisms will be revived. However, due to the current atmosphere of bilateral relations, resumption of work-level exchange mechanisms is perhaps the most we can achieve so far. Exchanges between high-level military officials, such as defense ministers or the chief of staff of China’s Central Military Commission Joint Staff Department and the U.S. chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff, are still hard to realize.

The Paper: Problems with visa issuance between the two countries are also public concern. You mentioned that Blinken would talk about people-to-people exchanges with China. If that is the case, will the visa issuance policy be improved?

Wu: The two sides have actually been in touch with each other on this issue. As much as I know, senior officials of the US government discussed with Chinese envoy to the U.S. about this issue at the beginning of this week. A few days ago, China’s vice minister of education Chen Jie also talked about people-to-people exchanges between the two countries during a visit to the U.S.

People-to-people exchanges are a highlight of Blinken’s visit, which is expected to bring about some concrete results, even though the problems cannot be solved once for all. But it is for sure that progress will be made in this regard, as well as continuous progress in the future.

The APEC summit in San Francisco in November

The Paper: Do you think Blinken’s remarks are meant to heat things up for future visits of U.S. Cabinet members?

Wu: I wouldn’t say that. When the Biden administration interacts with a foreign country, it would, in principle, go through diplomatic procedures before other departments step in, so as to achieve better coordination in terms of policy. Compliance with decision-making procedures is the most marked feature of the Biden administration compared to the Trump administration.

Whatever topics of interest may follow must fall under the charge of more specific agencies. Blinken’s visit is more of a confirmation of the “road map” and “timetable” for the next high-level exchanges between the two countries.

The Paper: Can you give us a sketch of the “road map” and “timetable”?

Wu: Judging from what I learned during my recent visit to Washington DC, the U.S. side believes that China-U.S. Interactions are currently on a very tight schedule, because many of the visits that should have taken place before June were not made possible until recently, owing to the postponement of Blinken’s visit to China in February. That means we have to move faster, and the U.S. side is also eager to make these visits as soon as possible.

In fact, the biggest concern for the U.S. is still the APEC summit in San Francisco in November. When I was in Washington DC, the chairman of the U.S.-China Business Council told me that they were somewhat at a loss, not knowing who was going to represent China at APEC. There weren’t many hotel rooms left and they had to make bookings now. So it seems that the U.S. side is also doubtful of the situation.

The Paper: Some believe that as the 2024 U.S. presidential election unfolds, the “time window” for improving the China-U.S. Relations is now nearing its end. As you said, the U.S. thinks they are on a tight schedule. Do you think the “time window” is disappearing?

Wu: Yes. With the U.S. focused on the APEC summit, there is little time left between now and November. Yet it would take much longer than that to make preparations if Chinese leaders were to attend the summit.

At the same time, the U.S. presidential election next year will cast a negative impact on the overall attitude towards China. It will then be politically difficult to improve China-U.S. relations and strengthen interactions.

The terms on which China and the U.S. interact is not up to U.S.’s whims

The Paper: Looking back on the past four months, how will these events influence the current and future China-U.S. relations? What are the lessons and implications to be learned by the two countries?

Wu: First, the China-U.S. relations are, for the most part, brittle and unstable. If any incident occurs at this delicate moment, it must be handled tactfully and calmly, with caution against excessive influence of domestic politics.

Second, the United States must handle the Taiwan question, which involves China’s core interests, with caution. China has a clear position and a firm resolve on the Taiwan question, and has increasing capabilities to guard its interests.

Third, the terms of China-U.S. interactions must be agreed on by both sides and not decided unilaterally by the United States. The United States is not allowed to come whenever they want and then wave away the decision. Blinken postponed his visit to China in February and said he wanted to resume the visit in April. But in fact, it is really not his decision.