Beijing Denies U.S. Secretary of State's Visit to China

Beijing has not granted permission for U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to China. The Chinese side is concerned that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) will release the results of its investigation into the Chinese balloon shot down by the U.S. military. This was reported by the Financial Times, citing its sources.

Blinken's visit to China was scheduled for February, but the Secretary announced he was postponing the trip due to the presence of a Chinese device in U.S. airspace. “The presence of that surveillance balloon in U.S. airspace is a clear violation of our country's sovereignty and international law,” Blinken stated.

Media reports also indicate that China is unwilling to host Blinken because the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives recently met with Taiwan's leader in California. Following this, the U.S. side reiterated the need to sell weapons to Taiwan. Beijing finds it unacceptable that Washington is violating the “One China” principle and supporting Taiwan's independence.