Blinken and Xi pledge to stabilize U.S.-China relations in rare Beijing talks

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken connected Monday ended a high-stakes sojourn to Beijing with an unexpected gathering with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The second stressed the value of dependable relations betwixt the 2 nations aft a play of simmering tensions.

During the gathering astatine the Diaoyutai authorities impermanent location — which lasted 35 minutes, according to the U.S. State Department — Xi said that the satellite needed a "generally stable" China-U.S. relationship, according to a translated readout from China's overseas ministry.

Xi added that whether the 2 countries "can find the close mode to get on bears connected the aboriginal and destiny of humanity."

"I anticipation that, done this visit, Mr. Secretary, you volition marque much affirmative contributions to stabilizing China-U.S. relations," the Chinese person said successful a video carried by Chinese authorities tv outlet CCTV, pursuing "candid and in-depth discussions" betwixt the 2 officials that led to advancement and statement connected immoderate undetailed "specific issues."

Blinken said some sides agreed connected the request for the U.S. and China to stabilize bilateral ties, earlier adding that Washington had "no illusions" astir the challenges of managing the relationship. Blinken said the U.S. was an advocator for "de-risking and diversifying" economical engagement with China, echoing an attack recently adopted by the G7.

Blinken's travel — which had not initially confirmed a gathering with Xi connected the docket — makes him the highest-level American authoritative to sojourn China since U.S. President Joe Biden assumed leadership, arsenic good arsenic the archetypal U.S. caput of State to marque the travel successful astir 5 years.

His archetypal question plans for February were disrupted by quality of an alleged Chinese spy balloon flying implicit U.S. airspace, successful an incidental that stoked tensions betwixt the world's 2 largest economies.

The sojourn could pave the mode for a November gathering betwixt Biden and Xi, aft the 2 satellite leaders past met successful idiosyncratic connected the sidelines of the G20 acme successful Bali late past year.

Blinken's brushwood with Xi echoed the optimistic, communication-geared code of the authorities secretary's different meetings with elder Chinese officials successful caller days.

On Sunday, helium undertook "candid, substantive, and constructive talks" with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, earlier speaking with apical Chinese diplomat Wang Yi connected Monday.

Upon seeing Wang, Blinken "underscored the value of responsibly managing the contention betwixt the United States and the PRC done unfastened channels of connection to guarantee contention does not veer into conflict," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said successful a statement.

Wang stressed that the Blinken sojourn came astatine a captious juncture successful Sino-U.S. relations, in a statement released by the Chinese overseas ministry translated via Google. He said that the difficulties successful the countries' ties are rooted successful the U.S.' "erroneous cognition of China, which leads to incorrect policies towards China."

Wang further urged Washington to springiness up its alleged "China menace theory," to assistance sanctions against Beijing and to nary longer suppress China's technological development.

The State Department did not instantly respond to a petition for remark connected Wang's characterization of the quality of U.S.-China difficulties.

The high-level diplomatic engagements betwixt Washington and Beijing travel arsenic respective concern leaders person embarked connected visits to China successful caller months, including Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon and Apple CEO Tim Cook.

China's Xi held talks with Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates past week, saying helium hoped the relationship betwixt the radical of China and the U.S. would continue.

"I often accidental that the instauration of China-U.S. relations lies successful the people. We ever spot our hopes connected the American radical and anticipation that the relationship betwixt the 2 peoples volition continue," Xi said connected Friday, according to CCTV.

Xi besides told Gates helium is the "first American friend" that he'd met successful Beijing this year.

— CNBC's Evelyn Cheng contributed to this report.