News that caught our eye / The week ending June 23, 2023
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NOTE: The news reports below are not in chronological order. There is often a time lag in their reaching the US and in gaining our attention. These reports reflect the opinions of a variety of news sources.
Blinken meets Chinese Foreign Minister on high-stakes trip to Beijing / June 18, 2023
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang this weekend to try to cool relations between the two countries. The meeting follows the spy-balloon debacle 6 months ago and a few other dignitary meetings, and may open the door to Biden meeting with Xi Jinping in November (CNBC).
Blinken trip to China 'makes no sense' as tensions remain high / June 17, 2023
Rebekah Koffler, president of Doctrine & Strategy Consulting and a former Defense Intelligence Agency officer, declared on Fox News that Blinken’s meeting in China is not likely to produce any substantive change in the two superpowers’ relationship. She said diplomatic talks are useless after decades of China’s economic, intelligence-gathering, and military buildup (Fox News).
US and China pledge to stabilize tense relationship after talks / June 19, 2023
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had an unscheduled meeting with President Xi Jinping during his trip to China this weekend, and while no substantive progress was made, the two sides agreed to continue keeping the communication lines open for further dialogue (BBC News).
Five things we learned from the China-US talks after Xi calls surprise meeting / June 20, 2023
While there was no sign of “world peace” coming out of Blinken’s recent visit to China, the visit did point future relations could go in the right direction, improving the prospects for more dialogue and potential solutions. Still, Xi demonstrated his superiority by placing Blinken in a diminutive position, and no red-carpet welcome (ABC News).
Blinken Says He Warned China About Military, Intel Activities in Cuba / June 21, 2023
While in London, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that he did advise China that the US would be very concerned about any increase in intelligence activity or military training facilities in Cuba. A Chinese representative said she was unaware of any negotiations between China and Cuba (VOA).
US-China tensions: Biden calls Xi a dictator a day after Beijing talks / June 21, 2023
President Biden spoke at a fund-raising event in California, calling President Xi a dictator and stating that Xi was embarrassed by the “spy balloon” because Xi didn’t know it was there. China's foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning labeled Biden’s words “extremely absurd” (BBC News).
Three convicted in US plot to force people to go to China / June 20, 2023
A retiree New York Police Department detective and two others were convicted of “interstate stalking,” harassment, and attempting to repatriate Chinese-Americans living in the US. This event is different from the Chinese police station discovered in April in New York City. A report claims that 10,000 Chinese repatriations have occurred globally since 2014 (Al Jazeera).
Yinchuan: China restaurant gas explosion kills 31 / June 21, 2023
A gas leak is suspected as the cause of an explosion in Yinchuan, the capital city of the Ningxia autonomous region in northwest China. Several high school teens and retirees are reportedly among the dead. The explosion occurred at the beginning of the Dragon Boat Festival, a national holiday (BBC News).
China Watcher: China and Ukraine — Angering Xi — Colonialism’s Legacy / June 22, 2023
Due to Russia’s status of the war in Ukraine, it may be looking to China for military support in the form of “dual use” items that can sneak under the threat of US sanctions against China, and it may be getting it, as Chinese “kit” keeps showing up in the conflict (Politico).
Bible College Teachers Indoctrinated at Beijing’s Central Institute of Socialism / June 13, 2023
Christian professors from all over China were summoned to the Central Institute of Socialism in Beijing this Spring to take mandatory courses on the principles of core Marxism, the 20th Conference of the CCP, and Xi Jinping’s “new era of socialism.” The goal is the “Sinicization of Christianity” through the study CCP documents (Bitter Winter).