The first trip to China by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken comes nearly five months after a significant rift in relations caused by a Chinese spy balloon.
His original voyage was abruptly canceled after a Chinese weather balloon drifted across the continental United States before being destroyed by American military aircraft.
It is unknown whether Mr. Blinken will also meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who appeared in Beijing with Bill Gates on Friday. There is a lengthy list of issues that concern the two global superpowers, including high-profile disagreements and potential areas of cooperation.
Here are three important topics that could top the agenda.
the first is restoring friendships. The primary purpose of Mr. Blinken's visit is to reestablish any and all diplomatic relations. When senior US officials met in Vienna, Austria, last month, an initial thawing of relations occurred. However, Mr. Blinken is the highest-ranking Biden administration official to visit China and this is the first visit by a US secretary of state to Beijing since October 2018.
Kurt Campbell, Deputy Assistant to the President and Coordinator for Indo-Pacific Affairs, stated in a pre-trip briefing that it is a good moment to resume dialogue because doing so reduces the risk of conflict.
According to the official Chinese account of a call between Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang and Mr. Blinken on Wednesday evening, Mr. Blinken was told that "it is very clear who is to blame" for the recent deterioration in relations.
Mr. Qin reportedly stated that the United States must respect China's concerns, cease interfering in China's internal affairs, and cease undermining China's sovereignty, security, and development interests in the name of competition. The United States has minimized any significant announcements made during this visit. In diplomatic parlance, it appears that the only "deliverable" from the meetings will be the fact that the meetings took place.
The second agenda is easing business conflicts. Relations between President Biden and China began on a sour note, in part because he has been reticent to undo trade restrictions enacted by Donald Trump. This includes import tariffs worth billions of dollars on Chinese-made goods.
In an endeavor to maintain U.S. dominance in the most advanced electronic technologies, Mr. Biden has implemented restrictions on the export of computer chips to China in certain areas. China retaliated with its own embargo on memory chips sold by Micron, the largest US manufacturer.
Mr. Campbell acknowledged China's concerns but stated that the United States would defend and explain its past actions and future plans. If computer technology is an area where the two superpowers are destined to compete fiercely, the illegal drug trade may offer more opportunities for cooperation.
The United States wishes to restrict the export of Chinese chemical components used in the production of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid many times more potent than heroin. In the past seven years, the rate of fentanyl-related drug overdose fatalities has more than tripled in the United States.
Mr. Campbell acknowledged China's concerns but stated that the United States would defend and explain its past actions and future plans. If computer technology is an area where the two superpowers are destined to compete fiercely, the illegal drug trade may offer more opportunities for cooperation.
