According to her, the United States has kept and will keep open the lines of communication with China, reports RIA Novosti. Jean-Pierre noted that the dialogue with the Chinese authorities, which was especially active in the context of the balloon situation, included Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.
The White House spokeswoman also noted that Blinken had postponed the visit to China, but did not cancel it. “When time permits, we will reschedule it,” concluded Jean-Pierre.
Let’s remember that last week a balloon that, according to the US authorities, was used by China for reconnaissance purposes, crossed Canada, the United States and was shot down on Saturday off the coast of South Carolina. Beijing claims that the balloon had a civilian purpose and was used for meteorological research.
Blinken planned to travel to Beijing last Friday. This visit would be the first at this level since 2018. He was expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and discuss a wide range of topics. However, the secretary of state called a senior Chinese foreign policy official, Wang Yi, and told him that he was postponing his trip because of the balloon.
