On Thursday, the State Department declined to say whether it would call off Mr. Blinken’s trip, part of an effort to revive a relationship strained by the countries’ geopolitical rivalry and exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. The U.S. wants to use the short visit to address persisting disputes ranging from Taiwan to technology and, officials said, intends to stress the Biden administration’s interest in finding areas of potential cooperation.
The Chinese embassy in Washington didn’t respond to a request for comment. Following the incident, the State Department summoned China’s chargé d’affaires in Washington, Xu Xueyuan, “to deliver a very clear and stark message,” a U.S. official told The Wall Street Journal.
