Blinken, Wang Yi to meet on sidelines of G20

Washington [US], July 6 (ANI): US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken will meet with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali this week, the State Department said on Tuesday.
Blinken will travel to Bali, Indonesia, and Bangkok, Thailand, from July 6-11. Bali hosts the G20 summit on July 7-8.
“In addition to attending G20-related engagements, the Secretary will hold a bilateral meeting with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi. Among other bilateral engagements, Secretary Blinken will also meet with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the margins of the G20,” the State Department said.
Blinken and Wang will discuss Ukraine, The Washington Post reported.
This comes amid reports that US President Joe Biden could lift the tariff on some Chinese imports in an effort to slow down the soaring rates of inflation.
The Biden administration is wrapping up a mandatory review of tariffs on Chinese imports, which were earlier imposed by former President Donald Trump. Biden has on several occasions postponed plans to cut tariffs due to policy disagreements among his own senior aides and Cabinet secretaries.
US officials hope the meeting could bring stability to the US-China ties as tensions over the Taiwan issue escalate between the two powers, according to the Washington Post.
“A key goal of the meeting will be to reinforce guardrails on the relationship so that our competition does not spill over into miscalculation or confrontation,” said one of the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a meeting prior to its announcement. “I think there’s no substitute for face-to-face diplomacy, and now is the right time.”
The meeting would focus in part on the war in Ukraine, providing Blinken with a chance to relay US concerns about China’s deepening relationship with Moscow, the report added.
Beijing has urged an end to the fighting but has not participated in the sanctions imposed on Russia.
This year’s G20 Indonesia gathering represents a challenge for the West as they seek to advance a global agenda on food and energy security while isolating Russia. (ANI)