Blinken stresses need for better US-Chinese communications as he heads to Beijing

By ELLEN KNICKMEYER
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Shortly before setting out for Beijing, Secretary of State Antony Blinken is emphasizing the importance of the U.S. and China establishing better lines of communication. He will be the highest-ranking member of the Biden administration to visit China. Blinken says the U.S. wants to make sure “that the competition we have with China doesn’t veer into conflict” through lack of contacts between top leaders. The trip is the outgrowth of a meeting in Bali last year between Presidents Xi Jinping and Joe Biden. Blinken’s visit had been set for February, but was delayed over the the conflict surrounding what the U.S. says was a Chinese spy balloon.