China Declines to Roll Out the Red Carpet for Antony Blinken’s Beijing Visit

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Beijing to a muted welcome on Sunday, with only a few Chinese officials on hand to greet him—and no red carpet when he got off the plane.

Video broadcast from state-run media seemed to bely the high-stakes nature of the two-day diplomatic visit.

Some observers noted that there was no red carpet on the tarmac—contrasting Blinken's arrival to the reception of Emmanuel Macron in April, or Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's visit in March 2022.

There was, however, a red carpet once Blinken got inside.

As he deplaned, Blinken was greeted by Yang Tao, head of China’s Department of North American and Oceanian Affairs.

The reception left some observers claiming that Chinese leaders had sought to "humiliate" America's top diplomat.

However, in past visits, John Kerry, secretary of state under President Obama from 2013 to 2017, was welcomed by an official of similar rank. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was also greeted by a similar-level official in 2012. (Clinton got a red carpet; Kerry didn't.)

The visit by Blinken — the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit China since President Biden took office — comes amid heightened tensions between the two superpowers.

U.S. officials said that Sunday’s six-hour talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang failed to bridge some of the most serious gaps between the nations, but were a potentially constructive starting point.

But both sides said advancement on the issues that divide them remains a work in progress while the Chinese foreign ministry said “the China-U.S. relationship is at the lowest point since its establishment.” Blinken is set to resume talks Monday with Qin and other high-level officials, potentially including President Xi Jinping. The visit could pave the way for a meeting between Xi and Biden in the months ahead.

Points of contention raised Sunday by Blinken include trade, Taiwan, human rights conditions in China and Hong Kong, Chinese military aggression in the South China Sea, China’s refusal to condemn Russia for its war against Ukraine, the detention of American citizens in China and China’s production of fentanyl contributing to the U.S. opioid crisis.

The meeting also came after a previously planned trip by Blinken in February was postponed due to the detection of a Chinese spy balloon in U.S. airspace.

With Associated Press