THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JUNE 2024 17 Since Blinken’s last visit in June 2023, following an uproar in response to a Chinese spy balloon crossing the United States, relations between China and the U.S. have improved, with more frequent, less confrontational dialogues. Issues such as artificial intelligence, military communications, and counternarcotics have been cited as areas of progress in bilateral relations. Nevertheless, Blinken maintained that “even as we seek to deepen cooperation, where our interests align, the United States is very clear-eyed about the challenges posed by [China] and about our competing visions for the future. America will always defend our core interests and values.” During his meeting with Xi Jinping, Blinken discussed Russian-Chinese military cooperation, Chinese maritime activity in the South China Sea, and the influence China has “to discourage Iran and its proxies from expanding the conflict in the Middle East.” As part of the $95 billion aid package approved by the U.S. Senate on April 23, $2 billion will go toward the foreign military financing program for Taiwan and other Indo-Pacific security partners, and an additional $1.9 billion toward defenserelated expenses provided to Taiwan. On April 24, ahead of Blinken’s visit, China criticized the aid as “violating” U.S. commitments to China. “Overall, the China-U.S. relationship is beginning to stabilize,” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Blinken at the outset of their talks. “But at the same time, the negative factors in the relationship are still increasing and building and the relationship is facing all kinds of disruptions.” n This edition of Talking Points was compiled by Mark Parkhomenko and Donna Scaramastra Gorman.
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