Bad blood with China? Blinken buys Taylor Swift album in Beijing
In the Beijing record store, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken calls Taylor Swift a successful American export
WASHINGTON, April 26 (Reuters) – US Secretary of State Antony Blinken snapped up a Taylor Swift album along with one by classic Chinese rocker Dou Wei during an unexpected detour to a Beijing record store on Friday, April 26, after talks in China meant to ease superpower tensions.
En route to the airport after a visit that included a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Blinken popped into the LiPi record store in the Chinese capital’s arts district where the owner handed him an album by Dou Wei, which he bought along with Swift’s 2022 record “Midnights”.
One of the aims of Blinken’s trip has been to emphasize the importance of what the State Department calls “people-to-people ties” as part of efforts to improve relations.
In the Beijing record store, he described mega pop star Swift, whose hits include “Bad Blood” from her fifth album in 2014, as a successful American export.
Blinken, an avid musician and guitar player, described music as “the best connector, regardless of geography”, and said he loved vinyl records because of the liner notes.
Asked by the shop owner what music he was into, Blinken, who is 62, said he loved everything but added: “I’m a bit stuck in the ’70s.” – Rappler.com