Antony Blinken and Qin Gang hold 'frank' dialogue in Beijing

Speaking after the five-and-a-half-hour meeting, followed by dinner, both US and Chinese officials stressed their desire for a stable and understanding relationship.

Antony Blinken and Tan Cuong had a frank and constructive conversation in the North of the capital. — Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang welcomes US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Beijing on June 18, 2023. Photo: Xinhua

During the first visit to China by a US secretary of state in five years, Mr. Blinken stressed "the need to reduce the risk of misunderstanding and miscalculation" in talks with his counterpart Qin Gang, the US State Department said.

"Qin Gang pointed out that the Taiwan issue is at the core of China's core interests, the most important issue in China-US relations and the most prominent risk," Chinese state media quoted Qin as telling the top US diplomat.

Relations between the US and China have deteriorated widely in recent times due to disagreements on everything from trade to geopolitics . Therefore, Mr. Blinken's visit is closely watched by the rest of the world because any escalation between the superpowers could have consequences worldwide, from financial markets, supply chains and global trade.

During Mr Blinken's visit, both sides said the talks were useful, with a US spokesman describing them as "frank, substantive and constructive" and Chinese state media describing them as "frank, in-depth and constructive".

Mr. Qin Gang greeted Mr. Antony Blinken at the entrance of a villa on the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse campus in Beijing, instead of inside the building as is customary. Mr. Qin greeted Mr. Blinken in English. They then shook hands in front of a Chinese and American flag.

The two men also talked about meeting again in Washington to continue the conversation at a time both sides find convenient. Both sides stressed the importance of making it easier for their citizens to travel to each other's countries, with Chinese media saying they agreed to discuss increasing passenger flights and welcoming more students and business people.

During his stay through Monday, Mr. Blinken is also expected to meet China's top diplomat Wang Yi and possibly President Xi Jinping.

Antony Blinken and Tan Cuong had a frank and constructive conversation in the North of Vietnam. — Scene of the talks between the Chinese and US delegations. Photo: Xinhua News Agency

US officials expect Mr Blinken's visit to pave the way for more bilateral meetings between Washington and Beijing in the coming months, including possible trips by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo.

In particular, it could set the stage for meetings between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden at multilateral summits later this year. Mr. Biden and Mr. Xi held their first face-to-face talks on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in November in Indonesia.

Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Hua Chunying, who attended the meeting, tweeted: "Hope this meeting can help bring China-US relations back to what the two Presidents/Chairs agreed in Bali."

Since last week, US officials have said Mr. Blinken’s main goal is to establish open and sustainable channels of communication to ensure that competition between the two countries does not turn into conflict.

Hoang Anh (according to Xinhua News Agency, Reuters, CNA)

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