Breaking: China (again) Refused Meeting with U.S. --- 2 Meetings Success, 2 Other Meetings Failed, Still “Thaw”, Sour Between China and U.S.

John Kerry meet China counterparts ✅

Gina Raimondo meet China's Commerce Wang Wentao ✅

Deputy FM U.S. Wendy Sherman meet China's Le Yucheng❌ (2 times Wendy failed meet up with China counterparts; first in 2021)

Lloyd Austin III meet China's Defense Li Shangfu (in Singapore) ❌

Beijing has snubbed the US 2 times by refusing to grant Wendy Sherman, deputy secretary of state, and also Defense Minister Lloyd Austin III, meeting with China counterpart, Deputy FM Le Yucheng and Defense Minister Li Shangfu (schedule different place and time) during a proposed visit to China that would have been the first top-level engagement since acrimonious talks in Alaska (Wendy Sherman - Le Yucheng) and Singapore (Lloyd Austin III - Li Shangfu).

So far, after the “spy balloon” and CSIS simulation war China - Taiwan 2026, only 2 meetings successfully between China and the U.S.

The successful meeting happens between John Kerry and China’s counterparts, and week ago between Gina Raimondo and China’s Commerce Minister Wang Wentao. 

China has rebuffed a U.S. request for a meeting between their defense chiefs on the sidelines of an annual security forum in Singapore this coming weekend, the Pentagon said Monday, showing the limits of a tentative rapprochement between the two rival powers. This Singapore meeting, neutral area, was actually already planned since April 2023, after the spy balloon controversy, thanks to help from PM Singapore Lee Hsien-Loong who visited China 27 March-1 April and met Xi Jinping, and (Lee Hsien-Loong) has good communication with Biden. Defense Minister Li Shangfu was met Putin in Moscow (April 16th, 2023).

Because Washington DC tried to lure Beijing to (also) repair in Foreign Affairs side, after (repeated) Beijing say no to meet Blinken, the U.S. tried to use Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman. But Beijing, again, refused. 

May 26th, Beijing has accused the US of spreading "disinformation" after Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned China could try to upend the international order. Just hours after Blinken commented, Beijing gave notice to refuse a meeting between Wendy Sherman and Le Yucheng. 

China (May 26th, 2023) criticized a speech by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken that focused on the balance of power between the world's two biggest economies.

 

Blinken delivered an address on Thursday designed to rally the international community to deter and counter China, which the US sees as "the most serious long-term challenge to the international order."

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson described the address as US "disinformation" and an attempt to "smear China's domestic and foreign policy."

China also angry about NATO decision to open office in Tokyo. So far NATO currently “very busy” in Serbia - Kosovo, not about Taiwan or Indo Pacific. 25 KFOR (Kosovo Force) NATO injured in Zvecan Northern Kosovo. Serbia has deployed military forces on the administrative border with Kosovo (official decision, announced by Serbia's President Aleksandar Vučić).

The US halted plans for Deputy Wendy Sherman to travel to Tianjin after China refused to agree to a meeting with Deputy (No.2) Le Yucheng, her counterpart, according to four people familiar with the decision. China offered a meeting with Xie Feng, the number five foreign ministry official who is responsible for US affairs. 

The Biden administration had been negotiating what would have been the first high-level engagement since their first meeting in Alaska, which erupted into a public spat between Antony Blinken, US secretary of state, and Yang Jiechi, the top Chinese foreign policy official. While the state department had not said Sherman would travel to China, she had planned to visit after a trip to Japan, South Korea and Mongolia. The Chinese snub follows a similar stand-off between the two countries.’

A senior state department official said the US would continue to “explore opportunities” to engage Chinese officials. “As in all travel abroad, we make announcements only once — and if — we determine that a visit has the potential to be substantive and constructive for our purposes.” US officials said the state department was holding “ongoing” discussions with Beijing about a possible visit. The US viewed the Sherman visit as a possible steppingstone to a China visit by Blinken that would set the stage for President Joe Biden to hold his first meeting with Xi at the G20 summit in India or in APEC Summit in San Francisco.

Potential meetings may be bigger for (chance, in the middle / marginal meeting or corridor talk amid) APEC rather than G20. May 22nd, India’s presidency of the G20 group of leading nations has become mired in controversy after China and Saudi Arabia boycotted a meeting staged in Kashmir, the first such gathering since India unilaterally brought Kashmir under direct control in August 2019. China and Saudi Arabia may not attend another G20 meeting including the G20 Summit. So the biggest chance for the Biden - Xi Jinping meet up is APEC in San Francisco this year, as Biden is Chairs APEC 2023. Last year (2022), thanks for good relationship by President of Indonesia Jokowi for both side (good relationship with Biden and with Xi Jinping), so Day-1 before opening G20 Summit in Bali Indonesia, Biden and Xi Jinping meet up in Gran Melia Bali Hotel (Xi Jinping as host).

The meeting, a tourism working group attended by about 60 delegates from most G20 countries taking place from Monday to Wednesday, required a large show of security at Srinagar international airport.

In 2019 the Indian government stripped the disputed Muslim-majority region of semi-autonomy and split it into two federal territories in an attempt to integrate it fully into India.

Indian authorities hoped the meeting would show that the controversial changes have brought “peace and prosperity” to the region and that it is a safe place for tourists.