Blinken will meet with students and businessmen in Shanghai. He will then travel to Beijing on Friday to meet with his counterpart, Premier Wang Yi, and possibly President Xi Jinping. US President Joe Biden's administration wants to keep communications with America's main geopolitical rival open and limit the risk of conflict.
Ahead of a meeting with the local leader of Shanghai's powerful Communist Party, Blinken said Biden was committed to “direct and sustained” dialogue between the world's two largest economies after years of rising tensions. “Our people have an obligation, indeed an obligation to the world, to responsibly manage the relationship between our two countries,” Blinken said.
“Whether we choose cooperation or conflict, it affects the well-being of both countries, both countries, and the future of humanity,” added party leader Chen Jining.
The tone at the Beijing summit could be more tense. When Blinken stepped foot in Shanghai, Biden signed legislation providing $8 billion (7.5 billion euros) and billions in defense aid to Taiwan to counter China's military might. A law has been passed in the US that could lead to the banning of popular Chinese video app TikTok.
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