Follow us on Telegram for the latest updates: https://t.me/mothershipsg

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with China’s President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of People in Beijing on Jun. 19.

The significant exchange took place on Blinken’s second day in China, after his separate meetings with the country's top diplomat Wang Yi and foreign minister Qin Gang.

Both top foreign policy officials were also present at the meeting, among others.

Xi: China does not seek to challenge US

Ahead of the meeting, Xi hailed the progress and agreement made on certain issues, based on a readout by the U.S. state department.

Blinken later noted that he had “candid, substantive, and constructive” talks with the Chinese president in the 35-minute session.

Had a candid, substantive, and constructive conversation with People’s Republic of China President Xi Jinping in Beijing today. We discussed a range of important issues, including the need to manage our relationship responsibly. pic.twitter.com/Q8kuMm6kly

— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) June 19, 2023

Both sides pledged to stabilise and improve U.S.-China relations, which had a bearing on the “future and destiny of humanity”, said Xi, according to a readout by China’s foreign ministry.

“Planet Earth is big enough to accommodate the respective development and common prosperity of China and the United States,” he remarked and acknowledged international concern over their relations.

He urged for both countries to act with “a sense of responsibility for history” and reiterated that “China respects U.S. interests and does not seek to challenge or displace the United States.”

Xi hoped that the U.S. would respect China’s “legitimate rights and interests”, while adopting a pragmatic and rational attitude towards bilateral cooperation.

He also highlighted that both sides need to be committed to the common understanding reached by him and U.S. President Joe Biden during their November 2022 meeting in Bali on the sidelines of the Group of 20 (G20) summit.

US committed to Bali agenda

Blinken conveyed Biden’s greetings to Xi, and said that the U.S. President believed the two countries “have an obligation to responsibly manage their relations”, wrote the readout.

The U.S. “does not seek a new Cold War, it does not seek to change China’s system, its alliances are not directed at China, it does not support ‘Taiwan independence’, and it does not seek conflict with China”.

These were the commitments made between Biden and Xi while in Bali.

The U.S. looked forward to more high-level engagements with China, keeping lines of communication open and responsibly handling their differences through dialogue, exchanges and cooperation.

China not ready to resume military-to-military talks

After the meeting, Blinken addressed the press and noted that he had repeatedly raised the importance of crisis communications and military-to-military channels during his trip.

“And at this moment, China has not agreed to move forward with that. I think that’s an issue that we have to keep working on. It is very important that we restore those channels.”

“So this is something that we’re going to keep working on, and as I said, there’s no immediate progress, but it is a continued priority for us.”

It was previously reported that China declined a meeting between the two countries’ defence chiefs on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue held in Singapore.

Although the duo did meet briefly and share a handshake, no substantive exchange was made.

Objectives met

Blinken also highlighted that the trip’s objectives were all met but acknowledged that progress was hard and “takes time”.

This visit came after his planned trip in February 2023 was cancelled due to controversy over the downing of an alleged spy balloon.

Biden hailed the meeting between Xi and Blinken, and believed that bilateral relations were on the right track, Reuters reported.

“You know (progress has) been made,” the U.S. President was quoted as saying.

Blinken, whom Biden said "did hell of a job", was the first U.S. Secretary of State to visit China and meet Xi in five years.

Related:

Top image via China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs