When Beijing was hosting the 2023 Annual Meeting of China Development Forum from March 25 to 27, Rick Waters, the deputy assistant secretary of state and the head of the newly established China House of the US State Department, embarked on a low-key visit to China.
During the 10-day trip, Waters visited Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing. Although details of Waters’ visit have not been made public, analysts suggest it is part of Sino-US talks at the working level, which may pave the way for rescheduling US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to China. Blinken was set to visit China in early February, but the trip was postponed following the unmanned airship incident.
At a joint press release with Philippine Foreign Minster Enrique Manalo and Defense Minister Carlito Galvez on April 11, Blinken said he is still expecting to visit Beijing. China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded the same day that the US should “stop interfering in China’s internal affairs and harming China’s interests, and stop undermining the political foundation” for bilateral relations.
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