US Working To Make Sure Competition 'Doesn't Veer Into Conflict' With Xi Jinping, Says Antony Blinken

In an effort to stabilize relations and prevent conflict, the U.S. is working to strengthen its “lines of communication” with China, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told CNN.

This comes in the wake of Blinken’s trip to China last month to meet Xi Jinping, the first by a secretary of state in five years.

Stabilizing Relations: “We are working to put some stability into the relationship, to put a floor under the relationship, to make sure that the competition that we're in doesn't veer into conflict,” Blinken said.

He emphasized that a conflict “would not be in our interest, their interest, or anyone else's.”

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Managing Differences: Despite the ongoing tensions, Blinken expressed optimism about the future of U.S.-China relations.

“The test for us is whether we can manage our way through that, to make sure that we sustain these lines of communication, that we continue to talk, and that we work on, as I said, both dealing with the differences and seeing if we can cooperate,” he said.

Unresolved Issues: However, one key issue that remains unresolved is the restoration of military-to-military communications between the U.S. and China. Contacts between the countries’ top military officials remain frozen, and Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu continues to be under U.S. sanction dating back to 2018.

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