Blinken to talk about Russia's war against Ukraine during visit to China
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who has arrived on an official visit to China, will be talking, in particular, about the Russian Federation's war against Ukraine.
Source: European Pravda with reference to CNN
Details: Blinken said that in his meetings with senior Chinese officials, he intended to raise "our very real concerns on a range of issues." Those issues include the fentanyl crisis, Taiwan and cross-Strait issues, the war in Ukraine, and the detention of US citizens in China.
CNN notes that although Beijing is trying to play the role of a peacemaker between Moscow and Kyiv, the Chinese messages have been met by US officials and other Western leaders with considerable scepticism.
China's "peace" proposals have been criticised for not calling on Russia to withdraw its troops from Ukrainian territory.
On the eve of his visit on Saturday, Blinken spoke separately by phone with the foreign ministers of Japan and South Korea, during which they discussed regional priorities and confirmed the unwavering support of Ukraine's sovereignty by each of the countries.
Blinken arrived on his visit to China on Sunday, 18 June. During his stay there until Monday, he is expected to meet with Foreign Minister Qin Gang, top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi and possibly Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Blinken's trip, which had been announced by Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden last year during a meeting at the G20 summit, was originally scheduled to happen in February 2023 but was postponed after the spy balloon incident.
Biden himself said the day before the incident that he would like to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in the next few months.
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