Xi Jinping praises 'progress' as he meets US Secretary of State Blinken

Mr. Blinken was received by Mr. Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People, a place that China often uses to welcome heads of state, showing a positive signal in the relationship between the two powers.

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Beijing, China on June 19, 2023. Photo: Xinhua

The two sides then held talks. The meeting, which lasted about 30 minutes, could help pave the way for a meeting between Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden later this year.

Mr Biden and Mr Xi last met on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, last November when the two sides pledged to communicate more frequently, but relations between the two countries have since deteriorated amid disagreements.

"The two sides agreed to follow the common understanding that President Biden and I reached in Bali. The two sides also made progress and reached agreements on some specific issues. This is very good," Xi said at the start of the meeting.

Xi also said China "hopes to see healthy and stable China-US relations" and believes the two countries "can overcome many difficulties," according to Xinhua. He also urged the US not to "hurt China's legitimate rights and interests."

Chinese President Xi Jinping chairs a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Photo: Xinhua

Earlier, Mr. Blinken stressed the importance of open channels of communication to manage their rivalry during more than three hours of talks with China's top diplomat Wang Yi, which the US State Department called "productive."

“We must take a responsible attitude toward the people, history and the world, and reverse the downward spiral of China-US relations,” Wang Yi said during his meeting with Blinken, according to a statement from China’s Foreign Ministry.

The lack of regular and open channels of communication between the world's two top economies has caused anxiety around the world, and Beijing's reluctance to engage in regular military talks with Washington has worried China's neighbors.

Earlier, during a seven-and-a-half-hour meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang on Sunday, Mr. Blinken stressed "the need to reduce the risk of misperception and miscalculation."

Both sides also expressed their desire to stabilize bilateral relations. "This will be a sustained diplomatic process," a senior US State Department official said on Sunday.

Hoang Anh (according to Xinhua News Agency, Reuters)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/chu-tich-trung-quoc-tap-can-binh-ca-ngoi-tien-bo-khi-gap-ngoai-truong-my-post252315.html