After the balloon controversy which erupted at the start of the year, the relations between US and China nose-dived to a new level which appeared to have pushed the partnership between the nations to a standstill. However, a new development seems to raise brows. As per media reports citing a US official, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director William Burns made a secret trip to China last month in a bid to reopen the lines of communication with Beijing.
“Last month, Director Burns traveled to Beijing where he met with Chinese counterparts and emphasized the importance of maintaining open lines of communication in intelligence channels,” the US official said on condition of anonymity, as per AFP news agency.
This comes as China declined a US offer to hold talks with the US at a Shangri-La Dialogue security forum in Singapore this week. The decision taken by China seems to have drawn criticism from US with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin terming it “unfortunate” saying that the situation could lead to “an incident that could very, very quickly spiral out of control.”
“(Y)ou’ve heard me talk a number of times about the importance of countries, with large, with significant capabilities, being able to talk to each other so you can manage crises and prevent things from spiraling out of control unnecessarily,” Austin told reporters in a news conference alongside Japanese Minster of Defense Yasukazu Hamada.
“And as we take a look at some of the things that China is doing in the international airspace in the region and international waterways, you know, the provocative intercepts of our aircraft and also our allies’ aircraft, that’s very concerning, and we would hope that they would alter their actions. But since they haven’t yet, I’m concerned about, at some point, having an incident that could very, very quickly spiral out of control,” Austin added.
Watch | Hollywood star Bruce Willis’ daughter Tallulah talks about her father’s daily battle with dementia
In a positive statement, Austin also said that US is ready to “welcome any opportunity to engage” with China.
Sullivan’s meeting with Wang Yi
In the month of May, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan met with Chinese Communist Party Politburo Member and Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission Wang Yi in Vienna. The two sides had discussions on key issues ranging from global and regional security issues, Russia’s war against Ukraine, and cross-Strait issues.
The meeting was an effort to maintain open lines of communication between the US and China. Biden last met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Bali, Indonesia, in November 2022. Additionally, US trade representative Katherine Tai held a meeting with the Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao a week prior to the Sullivan-Wang Yi meeting.
Canceled Blinken trip
The spy balloon controversy led to the cancellation of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s trip to Beijing. Since then, the canceled trip has yet not been rescheduled. Prior to becoming CIA director, Burns has handled other missions as well for President Joe Biden. In an interview, Burns said US is confident that the Chinese leadership is considering the provision of lethal equipment to help Russia in the war on Ukraine.
You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.
