US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stressed the importance of keeping open lines of communication to reduce the risk of miscalculation in talks with the Chinese foreign minister on Sunday, and the two agreed to meet again in Washington. As the first US secretary of state to visit China in five years, Blinken held "candid, substantive, and constructive talks" with the People's Republic of China (PRC) State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang, a State Department spokesman said.
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Before the talks, US officials saw little chance of any breakthrough on the long list of disputes between the world's two largest economies, which range from trade and US efforts to hold back China's semiconductor industry to the status of self-governed Taiwan and Beijing's human rights record. "The secretary emphasized the importance of diplomacy and maintaining open channels of communication across the full range of issues to reduce the risk of misperception and miscalculation," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said. He said Blinken invited Qin to visit Washington "to continue the discussions, and they agreed to schedule a reciprocal visit at a mutually suitable time."
Qin greeted Blinken and his group at the door to a villa on the grounds of Beijing's Diaoyutai State Guest House, rather than inside the building as is customary. The two made small talk as they walked in, Qin asking Blinken in English about his long trip from Washington. They then shook hands in front of a Chinese and an American flag. Chinese assistant foreign minister Hua Chunying, who is attending the meeting, tweeted a picture of Qin and Blinken shaking hands: "Hope this meeting can help steer China-US relations back to what the two Presidents agreed upon in Bali." During his stay through Monday, Blinken is also expected to meet with China's top diplomat Wang Yi and possibly President Xi Jinping.
