US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and China’s top foreign policy official, Wang Yi, are set for their second meeting on Thursday in Jakarta in two months. The meeting comes amid the Association of Southeast Asian Nations talks and aims to manage growing tensions, notably over alleged Chinese cyber-attacks.
Interestingly, the meeting follows an announcement by Microsoft, which disclosed that Chinese hackers had compromised US government email accounts, including those of the State Department. Despite this recent cybersecurity incident, the diplomatic dialogue continues unabated.
Reciprocal Visits Mark an Upsurge in Diplomacy
The upcoming Jakarta talks arrive nearly a month after Blinken’s journey to Beijing, marking the first visit by a US secretary of state in nearly five years. In Beijing, Blinken met with President Xi Jinping, Wang Yi, and Foreign Minister Qin Gang. The US has embarked on a spree of diplomatic interactions, with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen visiting Beijing last week and a planned visit by climate envoy John Kerry in the days to come.
Roadblocks in Military Dialogue
However, the US has yet to attain its primary objective of restarting talks with the Chinese military, a move deemed crucial to averting dire situations. Tensions have intensified between the two global powers, including China’s increasing regional assertiveness and the US’s broad restrictions on advanced semiconductor exports.
US officials harbour apprehensions that China is preparing to invade Taiwan, a self-governing democracy it claims as its own. The US intends to maintain the status quo that has prevailed, albeit uncomfortably, for almost five decades. The US and China haven’t projected any significant breakthroughs from their renewed diplomacy, but they remain committed to preventing disputes from escalating into full-blown conflicts.
Aiming for Coexistence Amidst Incidents
Blinken recently adopted a remarkably positive tone regarding China, distancing from the Cold War-era rhetoric of a long-term global confrontation with the ascendant Asian power prevalent during Donald Trump’s administration. However, incidents such as the reported Chinese hacking group’s espionage activities, as claimed by Microsoft, continue to cast shadows over the relationship. The State Department acknowledged the “anomalous activity” but refrained from outrightly blaming China as the investigations are still underway.
