US Secretary of State Antony Blinken began meetings in Beijing on Sunday, the first top American diplomat to visit China in five years, amid frosty bilateral ties and dim prospects for any breakthrough on the long list of disputes between the world’s two largest economies.
, is the highest-ranking US government official to visit China since President Joe Biden took office in January 2021.
After heading into a meeting room, neither Blinken nor Qin made comments in front of reporters who were briefly allowed in. Their meeting lasted for 5-1/2 hours, a State Department spokesperson said, before they had moved to the working dinner. US officials have since last week played down the prospect of a major breakthrough during the trip, but said Blinken's primary goal was to establish open and durable communication channels to ensure strategic rivalry between the two countries does not spiral into conflict.
"I'm hoping that, over the next several months, I'll be meeting with Xi again and talking about legitimate differences we have but also how there's areas we can get along," Biden said. Blinken's visit will also be closely followed by the rest of the world as any escalation between super powers could have worldwide repercussions on anything from financial markets to trade routes and practices and global supply chains.
Particularly alarming for China's neighbors has been its reluctance to engage in regular military-to-military talks with Washington.
Philippines Latest News, Philippines Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Blinken set to land in China in rare trip with hopes low for any breakthroughU.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to arrive in Beijing on Sunday, amid frosty bilateral ties and dim prospects for any breakthrough on the long list of disputes between the world’s two largest economies. | Reuters
Read more »
Blinken supports efforts toward “mature” China-South Korea ties – S.Korea ministryU.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he supports South Korea’s efforts to develop a “healthy and mature” cooperative relationship with China, South Korea’s foreign ministry said. | Reuters
Read more »
Blinken heads to China vowing to raise ‘real concerns’ but with low expectations for breakthroughsUS Secretary of State Antony Blinken is en route to Beijing for a high-stakes visit meant to steer relations between the United States and China back on course after months of inflamed tensions between the two nations.
Read more »
Blinken, Singapore foreign minister share pessimism on situation in MyanmarSingapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan says a lack of progress means it is not the time to re-engage at a high-level with Myanmar's junta.
Read more »
Militants linked to Islamic State kill 25 in attack on Ugandan school —policeMilitants linked to Islamic State killed 25 people in a terrorist attack on a school in western Uganda near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ugandan police said on Saturday.
Read more »
Reuters Institute stands by 2023 report on state of Philippine mediaThe Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism maintained on Saturday that its critical findings on Philippine media were accurate, despite a claim to the contrary of the government’s task force on media security. | dempseyreyesINQ /PDI
Read more »