BEIJING (dpa-AFX) – China’s head of state and party leader Xi Jinping sees “progress” in the relationship with the United States through the talks with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Both sides had “reached agreement on certain issues,” Xi Jinping said at a surprise meeting with Blinken in Beijing on Monday. “That’s very good.” Chinese state television showed pictures of the meeting. The relationship between the two great powers has been very tense for a long time due to a number of points of contention.
Blinken have had long, frank and in-depth talks with top foreign policy chief Wang Yi and foreign minister Qin Gang, the president noted. Both sides have made their positions clear and agreed to implement agreements he reached at a meeting with US President Joe Biden on the Indonesian island of Bali in November. The summit of the G20 states of major industrial and emerging powers took place there at the time.
Interactions between states should always be based on mutual respect and sincerity, Xi Jinping said. “I hope that through his visit, Secretary of State Blinken can make a positive contribution to stabilizing relations between China and the United States.” Blinken’s visit is the first visit by a US Secretary of State to China since 2018./lw/DP/ngu