Although Biden and Harris belong to the same party, different presidents will choose different cabinet members according to their policy direction and management style. So as the countdown to Biden's term enters the tabledown, Blinken's time to sit firmly in the post of secretary of state is running out.
In this only remaining time, Secretary of State Blinken is a bit abnormal, he has always been very tough on China, but recently he suddenly only said good things.
(Blinken meets with Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting)
From the statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the mainland, it can be seen that at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting held a few days ago, Blinken took the opportunity to invite Foreign Minister Wang Yi for talks, and the two talked for one hour and 20 minutes, and covered a wide range of topics, including the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea issues, the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, as well as the situation on the Korean Peninsula and Myanmar.
It can be seen that the topics discussed by the two this time are very sensitive. After the meeting, Foreign Minister Wang Yi also made some disclosures on the specific contents.
Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that in the past three months, China and the United States have maintained close communication in the fields of diplomacy, economy and trade, and law enforcement, but it must be pointed out that United States's containment and suppression of China has not stopped there, and has even intensified. During the talks, the Chinese side once again spoke out on the Taiwan Strait issue, stressing that "Taiwan independence" and peace in the Taiwan Strait are incompatible, and that every time the "Taiwan independence" forces provoke each other, we will certainly take countermeasures and constantly reduce their space.
Finally, Foreign Minister Wang Yi also said from the perspective of China-US relations, saying that China is not a United States, does not want to be a United States, does not engage in hegemony and power, and has the best record in the world on peace and security issues.
It can be seen that China's attitude is still very tough and it will not give a single step on sensitive issues.
(Foreign Minister Wang Yi's tough attitude)
However, Blinken's side is the polar opposite of China.
Regarding the meeting with Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Blinken commented that the representatives of the two countries had a fruitful dialogue in areas of disagreement and cooperation, which can be regarded as an improvement in tensions between the world's two largest economies. In addition, Blinken also said that he has conveyed to the Chinese side that the Biden administration and Democratic candidate Harris want to maintain the stable development of China-US relations.
In short, Blinken's side is full of good words.
In fact, there are two main reasons why Blinken's attitude has changed so quickly.
The first is to "retire" in order to prevent himself from following in Pompeo's footsteps.
United States After the retirement of the previous secretaries of state, it is more common for them to enter the business world, and after serving as secretaries of state, they have accumulated rich experience and valuable contacts in the fields of global politics, economics and diplomacy, and can even serve as a bridge between the government and enterprises, so large companies that want to start international business will rush to send them invitations.
On the other hand, for them, the business community can provide them with more financial rewards than public positions. Therefore, joining a company or participating in business activities through consulting, presentations, etc., is also an important way for them to realize their own value.
(After Trump stepped down, Pompeo was sanctioned by China)
So Blinken's future is still bright. But the only uncertain factor on China's side is whether China will impose sanctions on it.
We also all know that it was Pompeo who served as Secretary of State of United States before Blinken. During his tenure, this person continued to interfere in China's internal affairs and made inappropriate speeches on issues such as the Taiwan Strait, so the day after Trump stepped down, China announced sanctions against Peng Peiao and others.
After being sanctioned by China, Pompeo has been greatly hindered when entering the business world, and any company that intends to enter the international market does not want to lose the big market of China, so naturally it does not dare to ask Pompeo to be a consultant.
In the past four years, Blinken has done similar things, pointing fingers and even making tough remarks on issues involving China's core interests such as the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea.
Second, the Biden administration does not have the energy to provoke China at the moment.
Changes in United States politics affect changes in the entire international situation, and both the Democratic Party and the Republican Party are actively seeking funds for the general election and winning votes. Their goal is not just to win the presidency, but to gain more seats in the Senate and House of Representatives in order to lay a solid foundation for future governance.
(Macron and Scholz)
Most of United States' allies are also preparing for changes in United States politics, and NATO members are raising defense spending in search of more support for Trump's possible second term; Zelensky saw the situation clearly and released a signal for peace talks before the US election, in order to seek a good exit for himself and Ukraine; The European side is full of variables, France and Germany, as the two major engines of the European Union, the political arena is turbulent, the France prime minister has not yet determined who will be in charge, and the Germany chancellor may be replaced in September next year.
In this turbulent time, the United States must maintain a good relationship with China and keep this competitive relationship in a balanced state, which is critical to solving the problems at hand.
In short, Blinken's change of attitude was only forced by the situation.