Reports that China dispatched spy balloons to gather intelligence on American military locations have reportedly reached a boiling point in relations between the US and China’s leaders. China is now ignoring the Biden administration as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken attempts to arrange a trip there that had been delayed due to this strong action. As these two superpowers negotiate their intricate and sometimes tense relationship, the stakes are great.
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According to Reuters, Biden already gave his approval for Blinken’s travel in November 2022. The government wanted to improve relations between the two nations, but thought that a change of approach was necessary in light of China’s monitoring activities. Given that the spy balloons had been floating above the United States for “the past several years,” several analysts felt that the move represented a missed chance for further diplomatic attempts.
Two significant states’ deteriorating diplomatic ties appear to have made their differences much worse. The US government has sought to reopen negotiations with China, but to no effect – Beijing has reportedly remained unresponsive. The lack of communication on the international front in the midst of escalating tensions may be more striking than any verbal dialogue.
Wednesday, March 5, saw a visit from Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), which probably made the abrupt cold shoulder worse. Beijing has criticized Washington’s backing of the island country, which it claims should be ruled by its communist government. The latest meeting, according to foreign officials who spoke at a news conference, “undermine[d] China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
US officials have tried to set up a call between Biden and Xi Jinping, the Chinese president, but Xi Jinping’s staff have likewise ignored them. In retaliation, the White House issued a formal statement stressing that dialogue between the two nations “on shared interests of concern” continue. They just don’t seem to be discussing any further diplomatic trips.