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Secretary of State Antony Blinken met his Chinese counterpart in Beijing on Sunday as the Biden administration seeks to stabilise strained ties between the world’s two biggest economies.
The top US diplomat, whose previous attempt to visit China in February was scrapped at the last minute when the US revealed an alleged Chinese spy balloon was floating over American territory, will have a series of meetings with senior officials over the two days after landing on Sunday.
Blinken met Foreign Minister Qin Gang at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, a former imperial garden where Chinese officials host foreign dignitaries. The two men shook hands and exchanged pleasantries about Blinken’s flight before sitting down with their respective delegations across the table from each other. Journalists were asked to leave before anyone spoke.
A meeting and then a dinner were to follow, according to a State Department official who briefed reporters in Tokyo en route to China. Blinken may also have a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and deliver remarks at a news conference before he departs.