Blinken to meet China's Xi Jinping on Monday, U.S. official says

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is to conscionable with Chinese President Xi Jinping connected Monday, arsenic the apical U.S. diplomat wraps up his uncommon two-day sojourn to Beijing amid simmering U.S.-China tensions.

Blinken volition conscionable with Xi astatine 4:30 p.m. section time, according to a State Department official.

The travel by Blinken makes him the highest-level American authoritative to sojourn China since Joe Biden became U.S. president and the archetypal U.S. caput of State to marque the travel successful astir 5 years. Meeting Xi was lone seen arsenic a anticipation earlier helium arrived successful Beijing, and volition apt beryllium seen arsenic a affirmative motion that talks are going well.

Blinken was owed to conscionable apical Chinese diplomat Wang Yi connected Monday, aft "candid, substantive, and constructive talks" with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang connected Sunday.

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