Critical to de-risk with deeds not words

According to a statement issued by the US State Department on Saturday, US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel J. Kritenbrink is on a visit to China starting Sunday. But as of Sunday afternoon, the Chinese side has not announced anything.

It is rare for the Chinese Foreign Ministry not to disclose any information about a senior US diplomat's visit to China. The trip, if it is indeed happening, will make Kritenbrink the most senior US diplomat to visit China since Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman visited the country in July 2021.

On Jan 17, Beijing clearly expressed its welcome to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who was due to visit China on Feb 5-6, as agreed by the two countries' leaders during their meeting in Bali, Indonesia, in November. The visit was unilaterally called off by the US side because of the so-called Chinese spy balloon incident. The nonchalance the Chinese side has displayed to the visit this time is a telling sign that Beijing has become more pragmatic toward bilateral interactions.