BEIJING (Reuters) – A Chinese social media commentator with ties to state-owned enterprises accused the United States on Tuesday of using deceptive tactics and just days before an expected visit by a U.S. minister by creating the false impression of wanting to engage.
The lead-up to the landmark visit has been marred by fresh US allegations of Chinese espionage and strong Chinese scepticism about Washington’s sincerity in improving strained bilateral ties.
Although the US State Department has not yet officially announced Blinken’s visit, a US official has confirmed that he is scheduled to hold talks in China on June 18. In February, Blinken canceled a trip to Beijing after an incident involving a suspected Chinese spy balloon.
“Every time they express a desire to meet, the United States acts as a decoy, creating a false illusion of eagerness to negotiate, and at the same time constantly testing and provoking China’s fundamental principles is,” wrote Yuyuan Tantian, a state-affiliated social media user Broadcaster CCTV.
In recent days, U.S. officials, including Blankenship himself, have claimed that China has been conducting espionage activities from Cuba for some time, adding that Beijing upgraded its intelligence facilities there in 2019.
Both Beijing and Havana have strongly denied the allegations, calling them baseless.
Blankenship said on Monday that China’s activities in Cuba are part of its global strategy to expand its presence abroad. He also noted that US actions taken since President Joe Biden took office in 2021 have produced “results,” without specifying the nature of those results.
Regarding the balloon incident in February, a Chinese social media commentator called it a “mockery”. Additionally, the commentator rejected a request by the US defense secretary to meet with his Chinese counterpart at a conference in Singapore this month, an invitation that China declined, citing a carefully choreographed performance.
In a separate development, the US on Monday added 43 entities to its export control list, including 31 from China. These institutions were targeted for engaging in activities such as training Chinese military pilots that pose a threat to US national security.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin criticized the US for repeatedly abusing its power and exaggerating national security concerns with “hysteria”.
On Tuesday, an individual spray-painted anti-American graffiti on the walls and gate of the US consulate in Hong Kong, adding to the growing frustration surrounding Blinken’s visit. The graffiti included the word “Hegemony” in English and the word “double standards” in simplified Chinese characters used in mainland China, as opposed to the traditional script usually seen in Chinese-ruled Hong Kong.
China’s state-run tabloid Global Times said in an editorial on Sunday that “as the US has consistently emphasized the need to strengthen high-level ties with China, even if Blankenship visits China, it will be a matter of American sincerity and will serve as a litmus test of political maneuverability.”
