Blinken met with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang for seven and a half hours on Sunday, longer than planned, and both sides agreed to keep communications open to avoid future conflict.
Neither side has confirmed Blinken’s meeting with Xi, China’s most powerful ruler in decades, whose meeting with US President Joe Biden in Bali in November sparked hopes of a thaw in bilateral relations.
But some diplomats believe a meeting with Xi on Monday is likely.
Blinken started his day Monday by meeting Chinese diplomat Wang Yi, whose position in the Communist Party puts him above foreign minister.
Beaming for the camera, Wang and Blinken exchanged pleasantries before meeting up with their assistants.
Tensions between the world’s two largest economies have escalated in recent years over a number of issues, including trade, technology and Taiwan.
Avoid conflict
US authorities have indicated they don’t expect much progress from Blinken’s visit, although they hope to reopen normal lines of communication to prevent an incident from turning into a conflict.
Both countries said Sunday Qin accepted an offer to visit Washington soon.
Talks on Sunday, including a dinner at Diaoyutai’s official guest house, were “frank, substantive and constructive,” said Matthew Miller, spokesman for the State Department.
Blinken stressed “the importance of diplomacy and keeping the lines of communication open on all issues to reduce the risk of misperception and misjudgment,” Miller added.
Behind closed doors, Qin told Blinken that US-China relations are “at the lowest point since diplomatic ties were established,” according to state broadcaster CCTV.
“This is not in line with the fundamental interests of these two peoples and the common expectations of the international community,” Qin told Blinken.
He also warned against Taiwan, the island of democratic rule claimed by Beijing. China has held two military drills near Taiwanese territory since August in response to what it says is Taipei’s rapprochement with US lawmakers.
“The Taiwan issue is at the heart of Chinese interests, the most important and the most risky in Sino-US relations,” Qin said.
A senior US official said on condition of anonymity that the talks went beyond the usual topics of dialogue, including Taiwan.
“That was a real conversation,” he said.
Xi showed conciliation last week when he met with Bill Gates, the American computer magnate-turned-philanthropist.
“You are the first American friend I met in Beijing this year,” Xi told Gates, according to state-run People’s Daily.
“We have always had hope in the American people and look forward to an enduring friendship between the people of both countries,” he added.