DAVOS, Switzerland — U.S. diplomats have been so worried about the size and intent of a Chinese delegation in Switzerland this week that they’re trying to arrange a meeting between Secretary of State Antony Blinken with a Swiss official while he’s in the country for the World Economic Forum.
The discussion about adjusting Blinken’s schedule was laid out in a State Department document obtained by POLITICO.
The suggestion appears to be an effort to ensure that famously neutral Switzerland doesn’t feel jaded by Washington amid potential wooing by Beijing. It comes as U.S.-Chinese tensions are rising once more over the fate of Taiwan, which drew Beijing’s ire over the weekend by electing a president whose party has called for independence from China.
The Chinese delegation is expected to spend time in the Swiss capital, Bern, and Davos, the scene of this week’s forum. Blinken will be in Davos on Tuesday and Wednesday, holding an array of meetings and delivering at least one public speech to the crowd, which is heavy on business leaders.
www.politico.com/news/2024/01/15/davos-china-blinken-ukraine-00135530