Blinken meets Chinese Vice President on Monday

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to meet with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng on Monday as part of high-level talks between the two nations in recent days.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Blinken will meet Han Zheng in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meetings.

These talks come as the United States closely monitors changes in leadership roles within Beijing's decision-making circles. Foreign Minister Wang Yi, personally chosen by Xi Jinping at the time, was replaced by Wang Yi.

US officials initially expected Wang to attend the annual United Nations meeting, where he could have had a brief encounter with US President Joe Biden. However, China stated that Han, a lower-ranking official, would attend instead.

Nonetheless, Wang, who also serves as the director of foreign policies for the Communist Party, held discussions over the weekend with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in Malta.

The United States has expressed its commitment to keeping communication lines open with China to address recurring tensions between the world's two largest economies.


AFP