Analysis: Building Civil Society Connections Key to Defusing Sino-U.S. Tensions

Last week, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken paid his second visit to China in less than a year, hot on the heels of treasury chief Janet Yellen’s trip earlier this month.

Both visits’ duration and the topics for discussion surpassed last year’s visits, along with the two senior officials adding an element of public diplomacy.

“It is undeniable that the U.S.-China relationship is on stronger footing today than this time last year,” Yellen remarked on April 8 during her visit, adding that “this was not preordained,” according to a U.S. Treasury Department readout, implying that both sides have made considerable effort to mend ties.