SHANGHAI: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken returned on Wednesday to China on his second visit in a year, as the United States ramps up pressure on its rival over its support for Russia while also seeking to manage tensions with Beijing.

The US diplomat will meet China’s top brass on Friday in Beijing, where he is also expected to plead for restraint as Taiwan inaugurates a new leader, and to raise US concerns on Chinese trade practices — a vital issue for President Joe Biden in an election year.

But Blinken is also seeking to stabilise ties, as he arrived in Shanghai, where he will attend a basketball match between two teams with American players on their rosters.

The Biden administration’s eagerness to engage China stands in stark contrast to its efforts to isolate Russia since its invasion of Ukraine. The US has accused China of lavishing industrial material and technology on Moscow.

Washington has encouraged European leaders to stand firm on China not backing Russia, believing that it wants stable ties with the West.

Another source of friction between them is legislation that cleared the US Congress requiring TikTok to be divested from its Chinese parent company ByteDa­nce, or be shut out of the American market.

Biden faces a rematch in November against Trump, who has vowed a more confrontational appr­oach aga­inst China.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2024