Critics say those efforts, however well intentioned, have had little impact on Beijing. But Blinken pushes back, citing the lectures he gets from Wang Yi, China’s foreign minister, as proof of success.

“The last time I saw him, in Laos, he accused me half-jokingly, half-seriously of being on an encirclement tour, because I was going to Laos, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore and Mongolia on that trip,” he says.

Some critics describe the efforts as “zombie diplomacy” and say engaging with China is futile, but he says the US has a “responsibility” to talk to Beijing despite big differences.

The level of delusion it takes to contradict yourself so openly and consistently. You have a responsibility of “talking” things out with the Chinese but you are openly admitting to “encirclement tours” and consider that to be proof of success?

Also, I have never seen an article exude more “journalists are failed novelists” vibe than I have in this article.