US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (L) shakes arms with China’s President Xi Jinping on the Nice Corridor of the Individuals in Beijing on June 19, 2023.
Leah Millis | Afp | Getty Photos
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Chinese language President Xi Jinping on Monday, as the highest U.S. diplomat wraps up his uncommon two-day go to to Beijing amid simmering U.S.-China tensions.
Talking as he addressed Blinken, Xi mentioned that the 2 superpowers “have had candid and in-depth discussions” and careworn that state-to-state interactions ought to “at all times be primarily based on mutual respect and sincerity,” in a video carried by Chinese language state tv outlet CCTV.
“I hope that, by way of this go to, Mr. Secretary, you’ll make extra constructive contributions to stabilizing China-U.S. relations,” the Chinese language chief mentioned.
“The 2 sides have additionally made progress and reached settlement on some particular points. This is excellent,” he added, with out disclosing additional particulars.
Blinken’s assembly with Xi acquired underway shortly after 4:30 p.m. native time (4:30 a.m. ET), in keeping with Chinese language state media Xinhua.
The journey by Blinken makes him the highest-level American official to go to China since Joe Biden grew to become U.S. president and the primary U.S. secretary of State to make the journey in practically 5 years. A gathering with Xi had not been confirmed earlier than Blinken arrived in Beijing, and can seemingly be seen as a constructive signal that talks are going properly.
It’s anticipated that Blinken’s go to to China might pave the best way for a November assembly between Biden and Xi. The 2 world leaders final met in particular person in Bali, Indonesia, on the sidelines of a G20 summit late final yr.
Earlier, Blinken met prime Chinese language diplomat Wang Yi on Monday, after “candid, substantive, and constructive talks” with Chinese language Overseas Minister Qin Gang on Sunday.
The assembly was anticipated to the touch on a spread of points, together with the significance of open strains of communication, Taiwan, the South China Sea and Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Blinken “underscored the significance of responsibly managing the competitors between the US and the PRC by way of open channels of communication to make sure competitors doesn’t veer into battle,” State Division spokesperson Matthew Miller mentioned in an announcement.
The secretary additionally “reiterated that the US will proceed to make use of diplomacy to lift areas of concern and arise for the pursuits and values of the American folks.”
Wang careworn that the Blinken go to got here at a important juncture in Sino-U.S. relations, in an announcement launched by the Chinese language international ministry translated through Google. He mentioned each events should select between cooperation and battle, including that the difficulties within the international locations’ ties are rooted within the U.S.’ “inaccurate notion of China, which results in mistaken insurance policies in direction of China.”
Wang additional urged Washington to surrender its so-called “China risk concept,” to carry sanctions in opposition to Beijing and to not suppress China’s technological improvement.
The State Division didn’t instantly reply to a request for touch upon Wang’s characterization of the character of U.S.-China difficulties.
