Blinken to travel to China this weekend as US looks to reset relations

Expectations are low for a high-stakes visit to Beijing. On Wednesday, the US and China both confirmed that America’s top diplomat Antony Blinken will visit China this weekend. His trip was originally scheduled for February, but was postponed due to the Chinese balloon incident. This will be the first visit by a US Secretary of State to China in five years. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink said he would not expect “a long list of deliverables” to come out of the visit, adding: “We’re not going to Beijing with the intent of having some sort of breakthrough or transformation in the way that we deal with one another. We’re coming to Beijing with a realistic, confident approach and a sincere desire to manage our competition in the most responsible way possible.“ Earlier, Blinken had a phone call with China’s foreign minister. Qin Gang urged the US to respect China’s core concerns including Taiwan. A Ministry of Foreign Affairs readout of the call said: “The United States should respect China’s position on the Taiwan question, stop interfering in China’s internal affairs and stop undermining China’s sovereignty, security and development interests in the name of competition.“ The US-China relationship is at its lowest point in decades. US officials hope Blinken’s visit will pave the way for more bilateral meetings including a possible trip by the US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. This week, Yellen told US lawmakers “decoupling would be a big mistake“ and called for more cooperation with China. CNN’s Kristie Lu Stout reports.