Xi Jinping meets Antony Blinken at the Great Hall of the People, a sign of diplomatic engagement.
Beijing, China:
President Xi Jinping said the United States and China have “made progress” on a number of issues on Monday as he hosted US Secretary of State Antony Blinken for talks in Beijing.
Antony Blinken’s trip is the highest-level visit by an American official to China in nearly five years, with relations severely strained between the world’s two largest economies.
Chinese state media and US officials said President Xi, China’s most powerful leader in decades, met Mr Blinken shortly after 4:30 pm (0830 GMT) at the capital’s Great Hall of the People.
“The Chinese side has made our position clear and the two sides have agreed to abide by the consensus reached by President Biden and I in Bali,” Xi Jinping told the top US diplomat.
“Both sides have also made progress and reached agreement on some specific issues,” he said.
“I hope that through this visit, Secretary Blinken can make positive contributions to the stabilization of China-US relations,” he said.
The meeting lasted just over half an hour after Mr Blinken spoke for more than 10 hours over two days with other top officials.
At the ornate Diaoyutai State Guesthouse early Monday, Antony Blinken and China’s foreign policy supremo Wang Yi flashed polite smiles before talks with aides who, unlike their bosses, wore masks in line with COVID-19 protocol.
According to state broadcaster CCTV, Wang told Blinken off camera that his visit was “coming at a turning point in China-US relations”.
“It is necessary to choose between dialogue and confrontation, cooperation or conflict,” he said.
Wang said, “We should reverse the downward spiral of Sino-US relations, push for a return to a healthy and stable track, and work together to bring China and the United States closer together.” “
He also issued a warning on Taiwan, a self-governing democracy claimed by Beijing.
In the past year, China has twice launched live-fire military drills near the island, fueled by meetings between top US lawmakers and Taiwan’s leaders.
According to CCTV, Mr. Wang told Mr. Blinken, “On this issue, China has no room to compromise or accept.”
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller described the discussions with Wang as “frank and productive.”
Antony Blinken “underscored the importance of responsibly managing competition through open channels of communication between the United States and the PRC to ensure that competition does not devolve into conflict”, Mr. Miller said. referring to the People’s Republic of China.
‘The Quarrelsome Lover’
US officials have expressed fears that China will try to seize Taiwan in the coming years and insist that arms sales by Washington to the island are only to maintain the status quo.
Antony Blinken will address reporters before leaving for China later on Monday.
Tensions have risen between China and the United States in recent years over a range of issues including trade, technology and Taiwan, with both President Joe Biden and his predecessor Donald Trump calling Beijing the most serious threat to long-term US global preeminence.
US officials have said they hope Mr Blinken’s visit will bring more stability, if not a breakthrough, between Washington and Beijing.
On the streets of the Chinese capital, Sun Yi, 26, said she hoped Mr Blinken’s visit would improve relations and hoped he would visit the United States.
“I think both countries are like quarreling lovers right now. Both sides have their own personalities and interests and are not ready to compromise,” he said.
hope for a new summit
Xi Jinping met Joe Biden during a Group of 20 summit in Bali in November, raising cautious hopes for a thaw.
The secretary of state abruptly suspended her trip, agreed in Bali in February, after the United States said it detected a Chinese spy balloon over the US mainland – and later shot it down.
President Biden said on Saturday he did not believe the Chinese leadership knew about the balloons – suggesting a disconnect with the military, which has been less eager to restore contact with the United States.
Joe Biden has upheld Donald Trump’s tough line on China and gone further in some areas, including banning exports of high-end semiconductors to power surges.
But President Biden has also expressed hope for limited cooperation in areas such as climate and a new in-person meeting with President Xi.
The next occasion is likely in September when both Joe Biden and Xi Jinping are expected in New Delhi for the latest G20 summit.
Xi Jinping has also been invited to San Francisco in November as the United States leads the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)