The high-level meeting between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the host in China, Foreign Minister Qin Gang, has ended.
– The conversations were sincere and constructive, says Blinken.
Immediately after the meeting, Qin also announces that he will later travel to Washington DC for further talks.
Thus, the diplomatic ice between the two great powers is broken.
Blinken’s visit is the first by a top American diplomat since 2018.
Blinken and Qin had a longer conversation on Sunday, followed by a working dinner.
On Monday, Blinken has booked a meeting with top diplomat Wang Yi. On the same day, he may also meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to US officials.
Both the American and Chinese sides have expressed a desire for conflict prevention and increased communication between the countries.
Blinken said before the departure that one purpose of the trip is to find ways to avoid misjudgments between the countries.
– Intense competition requires sustained diplomacy to ensure that competition does not turn into confrontation or conflict, said Blinken.