Text/A Zhong
Before the United States could begin, it suffered a dull blow.
The U.S. Department of State announced on Wednesday (4th) local time that Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken tested positive for the coronavirus, and Blinken was scheduled to tell the Biden administration's China policy on Thursday (5th) local time, which was called a speech on "U.S. Diplomatic Strategy for China's Rise", but U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price said: The speech was canceled and postponed indefinitely.
Ned Price also said Blinken, 60, had mild symptoms and had not seen President Biden for several days. Price said in a statement that Blinken had been vaccinated and given the injections and that he would be working from home and "looking forward to returning to the State Department and resuming his full work and travel as soon as possible." ”
Blinken was one of the few high-profile people who tested positive after attending the White House Correspondents' Dinner on April 30. Many wondered if it would be wise to gather 2,600 people in the crowded ballroom of the Washington Hilton. It is reported that the vaccination certificate and the negative test of the day are required when gathering, but the mask is optional and does not wear it.
A spokesman for Unite Here Local 25, a union that represents Hilton washington employees, said members were not subject to the dinner's vaccination or testing requirements, but they wore masks and were allowed to choose whether to attend the event. On Wednesday, union spokesman Benjy Cannon said so far the union was unaware of any members who tested positive after dinner.
It is reported that US President Biden also attended the dinner. Still, at a White House news conference, press secretary Jen Psaki said Biden's most recent test for the virus was on Tuesday and was negative.
Blinken was expected to travel to Marrakech, Morocco, on May 11 for a conference on an international campaign against the extremist group Islamic State. Subsequently, the Group of Seven (G7) will meet in Germany. It's unclear if Blinken will be able to attend both events. Price said he also notified officials who had been in close contact with him over the past few days. For example, Blinken met with Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde on Wednesday and with Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard on Tuesday.
Price said Blinken took a PCR test Wednesday afternoon after feeling symptoms and tested positive for the PCR, even though he tested negative for antigen a few hours earlier. Price told reporters at the State Department, "He has small children at home, and as you know, he's been with a lot of people this weekend, so to be a precaution, he'll do regular testing." The U.S. State Department confirmed that Blinken had received a second booster injection.
Vice President Kamala Harris tested positive for the virus last week but returned to work on Tuesday after testing negative on Monday after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention directed quarantine. At present, there are already many senior officials in the US government who have been infected with the new crown, from Harris to Pelosi, one is the vice president, and the other is the second most powerful person in the United States.
It is worth noting that Blinken originally planned to publicly deliver a so-called "China policy speech on the rise of China" on Thursday (5th) local time, but this speech was canceled and postponed indefinitely. Previously, some US media pointed out that Blinken's speech was actually nothing new, "don't expect any bold moves."
According to multiple sources, Blinken will emphasize the existing China policy modeled after the Trump administration. This presentation will provide an overview of the strategy, not specific mechanics, and none of these details nor the full text of the document will be made public. But now it's all gone.
Meanwhile, the speech is considered "significant" because it would open up a month-long close U.S. government engagement with Asia, including next week's U.S.-ASEAN special summit in Washington, where Biden will visit South Korea and Japan and hold the first face-to-face meeting with quadrangle leaders, including Japan, India and Australia, on May 24.