America’s very complicated relationship with China, Foreign Minister Antony Blinken said – the connection between the two countries is important

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that while the US has a very complex and consequential relationship with China, the engagement between the two countries is vital. He also said that it is in the interests of the US and China to establish and strengthen their lines of communication – something the rest of the world expects us to do. Blinken told reporters that what we have told our colleagues in the government in Beijing is important from our perspective, because we also have a deeply complex and consequential relationship that is important to people in the United States and in China.

In a conference call with his British counterpart, Foreign Secretary James Cleverley, he said that when our two Presidents met in Bali late last year, it was important to establish and strengthen our communication system. We believe that it is in our interest and it is also something that the rest of the world expects us to do as there is an expectation that we will manage the relationship responsibly.

I believe there is some responsibility to manage those differences not only so that the competition we have does not turn into conflict, but also the ability where it is in our mutual interest. Blinken said the world also has to find areas of cooperation, adding that this engagement is the way we try to fulfill both of those responsibilities.