News analysis

Cautious expectations for upcoming China visit by US Secretary of State Blinken

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit will be the first by a senior American official since China dropped its zero-Covid policy. PHOTO: REUTERS
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WASHINGTON/BEIJING - US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is travelling to China this weekend, amid hopes that some stability will be restored to a troubled relationship most recently fractured by new curbs on China’s access to technology.

While expectations for substantive breakthroughs are low, analysts say that the return to face-to-face diplomatic engagement could help stop any further deterioration of a relationship that has been marked by loose talk of war and China’s show of force across the Taiwan Strait.

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