SHANGHAI, April 25, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - US Secretary of State Antony Blinken
called Thursday on the United States and China to manage their differences
"responsibly" as he went on a charm offensive ahead of expected tough talks.

A day before meeting Beijing's top brass to tackle thorny issues including
Russia, Taiwan and trade, Blinken's visit to Shanghai has seen him sample
local food, watch a basketball game and stroll along the city's famous Bund
promenade.

Visiting the local Communist Party leader in a room with sweeping views of
the Shanghai skyline, Blinken said US President Joe Biden was committed to
"direct and sustained" dialogue between the world's two largest economies
after years of mounting tension.

"I think it's important to underscore the value -- in fact, the necessity --
of direct engagement, of speaking to each other, laying out our differences,
which are real, seeking to work through them," Blinken said.

"We have an obligation for our people -- indeed an obligation to the world --
to manage the relationship between our two countries responsibly."

The Chinese Communist Party secretary for Shanghai, Chen Jining, welcomed
Blinken partly in English and spoke of the importance of US businesses to the
city.

"Whether we choose cooperation or confrontation affects the well-being of
both peoples, both countries and the future of humanity," Chen told him.

The country's financial capital, Shanghai is often a stepping stone to power
in China, with President Xi Jinping previously serving briefly in the city.

China has not announced plans for Blinken to meet Xi, although on Blinken's
last visit in June, they saw each other in a meeting announced at the last
minute.

On Thursday, Blinken also met students at the Shanghai campus of New York
University, where he voiced hope for more Americans to study in China.

He insisted the United States was committed to welcoming Chinese students.

Beijing has repeatedly alleged that Chinese nationals with valid travel
documents, including students, have been subject to aggressive interrogations
and deportations at US airports.

"President Biden and President Xi are determined to strengthen our people-to-
people ties," Blinken said.

- Pressing on Russia -

Blinken, the first US secretary of state in 14 years to visit Shanghai,
opened his visit Wednesday evening at a restaurant serving steamed buns.

Sporting a suit without a tie, he ate with his senior staff in a shopping
arcade as curious onlookers snapped pictures.

Blinken then went to watch a basketball game between the Shanghai Sharks and
Zhejiang Golden Bulls, staying until the end of the nail-biting play-off.

Such softer diplomacy, once a staple of US-China relations, would have been
unimaginable until recently, with hawks in both countries speaking of an
emerging new Cold War.

Blinken's aides hope his smiling persona at public events draws an implicit
contrast to his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov and his gruffer approach
when he visited China earlier this month.

Blinken is expected to raise concerns about China's relationship with Russia
when he meets the leadership in Beijing.

Although US officials were initially pleased that Beijing has not shipped
weapons to Russia for its war in Ukraine, they now say that China's alarm at
Moscow's setbacks on the battlefield has prompted it to export vast
quantities of industrial supplies to Russia.

US officials believe China is more receptive to Western concerns as it seeks
to focus on managing economic headwinds at home and wants to avoid friction
with the West.

But China is also furious about a series of moves by Biden -- who is facing a
tough re-election fight in November against Donald Trump -- they say serve to
constrain the Chinese economy.

Most recently, the US Congress approved legislation that would force the
divestment of blockbuster social media app TikTok from its Chinese owners or
face a ban in the world's largest economy.

Biden supports the legislation, arguing that TikTok, popular among young
people, poses security and privacy concerns. China has accused the United
States of unfair economic coercion.

Unusually, Trump has distanced himself from a TikTok ban. He has otherwise
championed a tough line on China, with vows to raise tariffs drastically if
he returns to office.

US officials also say that Blinken will encourage China to act with restraint
as Taiwan inaugurates a new president next month.

China claims the self-governing democracy as its own and has not ruled out
using force to seize it.

Privately, US officials were relieved by China's approach during Taiwan's
election, believing that easing US-China tensions helped.

They assessed that Beijing's assertive military moves did not go beyond past
precedent.