Antony Blinken To Meet Chinese Vice President At UN Assembly Amid Escalating Tensions Between US And China

The Vice-President of China, Han Zheng, is set to meet U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, at the United Nations General Assembly on Monday. This news comes amid the ongoing tension in China-U.S. relationships, the South China Morning Post reported. 

Han’s presence at the meeting is unusual as China typically sends President Xi Jinping or China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi for such high-profile gatherings.

Over the weekend, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Yi held an unexpected meeting in Malta. They reportedly exchanged “candid, substantive, and constructive” comments on numerous contentious topics, including China-Russia relationships, Taiwan, and the South China Sea issues.

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The U.S. also invited Wang for a visit, aiming to lay the groundwork for a meeting between the two nation’s leaders. China’s response to this invitation is yet unknown.

Despite increased contact, significant challenges between the two nations remain unresolved. The U.S. continues to rally allies in blocking China’s access to advanced technology and confronts Beijing’s military activities in the South China Sea.

Last week, China reportedly conducted its largest military exercise in recent months in the western Pacific, seemingly in response to the U.S. and Philippines’ first joint naval drill in the South China Sea.

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