Also, New Zealand slipped into a recession.
Xi meets with Blinken
Antony Blinken, the U.S. secretary of state, met with Xi Jinping, China’s leader, as the two countries try to pull relations out of a deep chill that has raised global concerns about the growing risk of a conflict between them. The talks show that both countries recognize the stakes of their rivalry.
Xi’s decision to meet with Blinken indicated that he was uncomfortable with the escalation in tensions. He struck a congenial note at the top of their 35-minute meeting, praising the two sides for making progress on some unspecified issues during Blinken’s two-day visit to China.
“This is very good,” Xi said. But he also hinted at grievances, saying that he hoped Blinken would “make more positive contributions to stabilizing China-U.S. relations.”
Blinken, who is the first American secretary of state to visit Beijing since 2018, said that he pushed for “direct engagement and sustained communication at senior levels.” He said that he pressed China to open a military-to-military communications channel — which the U.S. argues is critical for avoiding crises in the seas and airspace around China — but was rebuffed.
The Blinken-Xi meeting could set the stage for a meeting between Xi and President Biden. But it is unclear whether high-level diplomacy can change the trajectory of relations.
Differences: The rivals also sought to demonstrate that they were not compromising on core issues. Their disagreements include Taiwan, the Chinese military’s growing footprint, the development of advanced technologies, Russia’s war in Ukraine and human rights.
The view from China: Pressure may be mounting on Beijing to stabilize ties because of China’s worsening economy. Xi may also want to steady the relationship because he appears eager to cast himself as a global statesman.
Other diplomacy: Germany and China will restart government consultations this week after a three-year pandemic hiatus.A Russian assassination attempt
In 2020, Russia tried to assassinate a C.I.A. informant on U.S. soil, appearing prepared to cross a line that the country had previously avoided. The failed plot represented a brazen expansion of President Vladimir Putin’s campaign of targeted assassinations and led, in part, to expulsions of the C.I.A.’s chief in Moscow and his Russian counterpart in Washington.
