The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced today that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed support for South Korea's efforts to develop a "healthy and mature" cooperative relationship with China. During a phone call with South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin, Blinken discussed bilateral relations, as well as the relationship between China and South Korea, and issues related to North Korea, according to a ministry statement.
Blinken is scheduled to arrive in Beijing tomorrow, marking the highest-level visit by an official in President Joe Biden's administration. The ministry stated that Blinken and Park strongly condemned what they see as recurring provocations from North Korea, and they agreed on the need for the United States, South Korea, and Japan to continue urging China to take a constructive role in the United Nations Security Council regarding nuclear disarmament. The statement did not go into further details.
U.S. officials indicate they do not expect Blinken's visit to China—his first as Secretary of State in five years—to lead to a breakthrough in U.S.-China relations. Blinken stated yesterday that "the visit aims to establish open and strong communications."
