According to the US State Department, Antony Blinken, the Secretary of State of the United States, engaged in "open" and "productive" discussions with China's Foreign Minister in Beijing as he embarked on a two-day series of meetings with Chinese officials.

US officials stated that Mr. Blinken underscored the importance of diplomacy and maintaining "open lines of communication." The visit, marking the first time in nearly five years that a US diplomat has traveled to China, follows a previous trip by Blinken that was delayed due to a suspected Chinese spy balloon entering US airspace. The primary objective of the talks, according to US officials, is to establish stability in a highly strained bilateral relationship.

China's Foreign Minister Qin Gang conveyed to Mr. Blinken that Beijing is dedicated to establishing a stable, predictable, and constructive relationship with the United States. US officials stated that Qin had accepted an invitation for a visit to Washington during the talks.

Qin highlighted Taiwan as the "most significant risk" to China-US relations and emphasized that the Taiwan issue is one of "China's core interests," as reported by state media.

China regards Taiwan as a renegade province that will eventually be reunified with Beijing's authority, whereas Taiwan perceives itself as separate from mainland China, with its own constitution and leadership. Last year, US President Joe Biden stated that the US would defend Taiwan in the event of an attack by China, a stance that Beijing strongly condemned.

Mr. Qin welcomed Mr. Blinken on Sunday morning at the opulent Diaoyutai State Guest House, a customary venue for hosting visiting dignitaries. They shook hands in front of their respective flags and proceeded to sit down with their delegations at lengthy tables to commence their meetings.

The exchange had a formal tone, underscoring the strained relations that have developed between the two global powers in recent years.

The US has set modest expectations for the trip, and both sides have explicitly stated that they do not anticipate any significant breakthroughs.

The American delegation expected discussions to cover various topics such as the Ukraine conflict, trade disputes related to advanced computer technologies, the fentanyl drug epidemic in the US, and Chinese human rights practices.

Chinese officials have responded with a restrained attitude towards Mr. Blinken's visit, expressing doubts about the sincerity of US efforts to improve relations.

Whether Mr. Blinken will have a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping remains uncertain.

Since President Joe Biden assumed office in January 2021, Mr. Blinken is the highest-ranking US government official to travel to China.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Mr. Blinken emphasized the importance of communication to ensure that the competition between the US and China does not escalate into conflict.

He also expressed his hope to meet President Xi in the coming months.

A brief meeting between President Biden and Xi Jinping in Bali in November briefly eased concerns of a new Cold War, but since the incident with the balloon, there have been scarce high-level communications between the two leaders