Talks can be fruitful if Washington bears in mind it takes two to tango

Both Beijing and Washington have said that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's ongoing visit to China is a follow-up to the earlier agreement between the leaders of the two countries on the need to sustain communication and manage the frayed bilateral ties.

There is little doubt about the importance of the two sides continuing to talk. But there is a huge question mark over what the discussions between the top US diplomat and his hosts can yield. It is generally assumed that given the current state of relations between the two sides, the chances are slim that the visit will culminate in any meaningful deliverables.

Beijing and Washington seem to have been largely talking past each other on very important issues of mutual concern in recent years, and the likelihood of that pattern changing during Blinken's visit appears remote. This is because, as distrust accumulates between the two governments, the gap between them keeps widening.