The frequency with which the United States State DepartmentStates State Department spokespeople have mentioned US Secretary of State Antony Blinken'sBlinken's upcoming visit to China recently, as well as the wide range of topics they have touched on as part of the discussions - from the Taiwan question and Ukraine crisis to the Korean Peninsula issue and fentanyl - suggests that the Biden administration hopes that visit will be fruitful.
On Monday, the US cannot expect communication and cooperation from China while it keeps interfering in China's internal affairs and hurts China's interests, as Mao Ning, spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry, stressed at a regular news conference in Beijing.
Mao urged the US side to deal with the sensitivity of the Taiwan question to make that point clear. Some media outlets have reported that US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is planning a trip to Taiwan later this year.
It is absolutely necessary for Washington to draw lessons from the reckless visit of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to the Chinese island in August last year, which not only offset the previous efforts by the two sides over the past months to check the free fall of Sino-US relations, but also escalated regional tensions in the otherwise peaceful Asia-Pacific.
The top US diplomat should bear in mind that regardless of how hard the US side is trying to weave it into the fabric of its China containment strategy, the Taiwan question is always at the heart of China's core interests - China believes that it is the most important issue hindering the development of Sino-US relations and any visits by US officials will be viewed as grave provocations by Beijing.
It is notable that the Tsai Ing-wen administration on the island has begun speculating on Blinken's visit by extending a welcome to the new House speaker on his planned visit and confirming on Tuesday the island's ties with the Czech Republic through a phone call between Tsai and the Central European country's president-elect.
It does not require a stress test for the US side to realize that the Taiwan question is the bedrock of China-US relations. Beijing has made it clear that the island's status as part of one China is an inviolable redline.
In its relations with the US, China follows the three principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation. Blinken's visit was arranged for Sunday, which is the day that this year's Lantern Festival falls. To convey its sincerity in seeking improvements in relations, Blinken's visit has been arranged for Sunday. People express their wishes and expectations for the year ahead by taking advantage of this celebratory occasion.
The visit will help give practical substance to the five nots that the US side said it is committed to, as a sign of China's goodwill.