Chicago-January 21, 2023

When asked by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken

At the University of Chicago on whether the tension has decreased with the Asian giant, Blinken replied: "I think so, because when you talk and engage, it tends to have that effect".

"The rest of the world expects us to manage this relationship responsibly" because other countries "know that it will affect them too,"he said.

Blinken will travel to Beijing on February 5 and 6, according to a US official, the first such visit to China since the visit of his Republican predecessor Mike Pompeo in 2018. US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed on the visit on the sidelines of a summit in Indonesia in November.

Blinken at the same time expressed concern about Taiwan, noting Beijing's attempts to isolate the island, which the Chinese government considers part of its territory, and pointing to a series of military exercises. "What we have seen over the past few years is, I think, that China has decided that it is no longer satisfied with the status quo" on the island, he said.

"This is what we say to the Chinese: you say it's a matter of your sovereignty, and we answer you that this is directly related to the United States and the rest of the world," Blinken added, referring to Taiwan's important role in the global economy due to its semiconductor industry.