Chinese President Xi Jinping met with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Beijing on Monday, according to an official from the Chinese state media.
The meeting comes amid soaring tensions between the United States and China, fueling concerns that the two counties could break out into conflict.
“State-to-state interactions should always be based on mutual respect and sincerity. I hope that Secretary Blinken, through this visit, could make positive contribution to stabilizing China-U.S. relations,” Xi said in opening remarks to Blinken before their closed-door meeting, according to Chinese state media.
Blinken, America’s top diplomat, arrived in the Chinese capital on Sunday for an official two-day visit aimed at easing tensions. He is the first U.S. secretary of state to visit China in five years and the highest-level U.S. official to make the trip since President Joe Biden took office.
