With Secretary of State Antony Blinken's two days of meetings in Beijing just concluded, Kaiser spoke with Dennis Wilder, managing director for the Initiative for U.S.-China Dialogue on Global Issues at Georgetown University, where he also serves as an assistant professor of practice in Asian Studies in the School of Foreign Service. Dennis was the National Security Council's director for China from 2004-2005 and then served as the NSC special assistant to the president and senior director for East Asian affairs from 2005 to 2009. From 2009 to 2015 Dennis served as the senior editor of the President’s Daily Brief, the worldwide intelligence update produced under the auspices of the director of national intelligence. He also served from 2015 to 2016 as the CIA’s deputy assistant director for East Asia and the Pacific. Who better to give an informed take on Secretary Blinken's diplomatic mission?

02:38 – The Initiative for U.S.-China Dialogue on Global Issues at Georgetown University

04:46 – Overview of the meetings of Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Beijing

06:34 – Blinken’s comment on the balloon incident 

09:39 – What is the likelihood of a better relationship between China and the U.S.?

11:37 – CIA Director William Burns’s secret trip to China

16:16 – What are the significant factors behind the recent greater openness of the Chinese toward diplomatic activities with the U.S.?

22:14 – The meaning of the military-to-military cooperation that China has declined to reinstate

24:49 – Main key points of the three meetings of Blinken in China – the issues of Taiwan and Ukraine

38:42 – What are some of the ways in which China and the U.S. can rebuild trust?

43:44 – How does Blinken's trip to Beijing affect other countries’ diplomatic activities?

A complete transcript of this podcast is available at TheChinaProject.com website.

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