Blinken in China to repair ties

While preparing for Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit, China's leadership has had its sights on two sets of audiences other than the U.S

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Days before Blinken arrived in Beijing on Sunday morning, the first visit by an American cabinet-level official since 2019, Chinese officials, state media and academics have all played up the notion that it is the U.S. side that has been the most eager to meet.

Behind the scenes, however, Beijing has had its own reasons for detente with the U.S.: Chinese officials have said a priority for Beijing this year is to pave the way for top leader Xi Jinping to attend an annual summit of Asia-Pacific leaders to be held in San Francisco in November and possibly a separate meeting with President Biden.

Chinese diplomats have been working to ensure the Chinese leader will receive a respectful welcome for what would be his first trip to the U.S since 2017. Driving the terse Chinese messaging in the lead-up to Blinken's visit has been the leadership's need to explain to a domestic audience why it appears to be shifting to re-engage with the Americans after having given Washington a cold shoulder for months and blamed the U.S. for the worsening bilateral relationship.

Upon arriving in Beijing, Blinken was greeted by the U.S. ambassador to China, Nicholas Burns, and the director-general at China's Foreign Ministry overseeing affairs with the U.S. On Sunday, the secretary of state is set to participate in a large-format gathering with China's Foreign Minister, Qin Gang, and his team, as well as a smaller meeting and a dinner, a senior State Department official said.

Blinken is expected to meet Xi during the trip, as is customary with previous visits by U.S.secretaries of state. So far, neither Washington nor Beijing confirmed the potential meeting between Blinken and Xi.

Another key audience for Chinese leaders are the U.S.'s allies in Europe and Asia, as Beijing steps up efforts to try to prevent other countries with advanced technology from joining hands with Washington in sanctioning Chinese firms.