US' Blinken to travel to Beijing in February

The top US diplomat will likely discuss the conflict in Ukraine, Beijing’s nuclear arsenal, counternarcotics cooperation, and the release of US citizens that are in custody in China, Politico reported on Monday, citing sources.

He is also expected to raise the issue of unfreezing the bilateral military dialogue that was suspended following then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan in August, TASS reported.

The US Department of State and the Chinese Embassy in Washington haven’t commented on the trip yet.

US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed at a meeting on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Indonesia in November that Blinken would travel to China at the start of 2023.

The Wall Street Journal said on Monday that US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen would meet with China’s Vice Premier Liu He in Switzerland on Wednesday.

According to the report, US and Chinese officials recently resumed communication that was interrupted following Pelosi’s trip. Yellen is considering a visit to China after Blinken, the newspaper said.

RHM/PR