U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is bound for China this weekend, where he will work to shore up relations between Washington and Beijing. The trip will make Blinken the most senior Biden administration official to visit China so far, and the first Secretary of State to do so since 2018. "While in Beijing, Secretary Blinken will meet with senior PRC officials where he will discuss the importance of maintaining open lines of communication to responsibly manage the U.S.-PRC relationship," the State Department said. The State Department said Blinken will also strive to communicate U.S. values, and encourage China to cooperate on global issues such as climate change. China defends close approach to American warship in Taiwan Strait China said it was responding to a provocation when one of its ships approached a patrol in international waters.

Source: Ethiopian News June 15, 2023 01:20 UTC