US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken met with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang in Beijing, the Financial Times reported . This is the first visit by a United States Secretary of State to China since 2018.
In February, relations between the two countries deteriorated badly after an incident with a Chinese balloon flying into American airspace. The conversation between Qin Gang and Blinken lasted five and a half hours.
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said during the meeting, the secretary of state "emphasized the importance of diplomacy and open channels of communication in order to avoid misunderstandings and miscalculations."
In turn, the Chinese side stated that it adheres to the strategy of building stable and predictable relations between the United States and China, which at the moment "were at the lowest point since the establishment of diplomatic communication between the countries."
Qin Gang also noted that the most important issue "and the greatest risk" in US-China relations remains the Taiwan issue. At the same time, the communiqué mentions the planning of a Chinese delegation's trip to Washington.
Blinken arrived in Beijing on 18 June. In addition to Qin Gang, he is to meet with top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi, and possibly Xi Jinping as well.