US: No Response Yet from China on Secretary's Invitation to Washington

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed on Thursday that the United States has not yet received a response from China regarding the invitation extended to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to visit Washington. Blinken stated to journalists during an event at the United Nations in New York, "We have not received a response yet, but we extended that invitation, and I expect that we will have an opportunity to meet to continue the important discussions I had in Beijing." He noted, "We fully expect that our Chinese counterparts will come to the United States. There is a commitment by the United States and China to manage this relationship responsibly, and it begins with dialogue." In a statement to Reuters, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said it is "ready to maintain communication" with the United States regarding a potential future visit by Wang to Washington, but did not provide further details. Chen has not appeared in public since June 25, marking a mysterious absence after just seven months in office, raising questions about transparency. The Chinese Foreign Ministry stated that Chen is on leave for unspecified health reasons.