Xi tells Blinken in high-stakes meeting: World needs stable U.S.-China relations

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met 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.

Speaking arsenic helium addressed Blinken, Xi said that the 2 superpowers "have had candid and in-depth discussions" and stressed that state-to-state interactions should "always beryllium based connected communal respect and sincerity," successful a video carried by Chinese authorities tv outlet CCTV.

"I anticipation that, done this visit, Mr. Secretary, you volition marque much affirmative contributions to stabilizing China-U.S. relations," the Chinese person said.

"The 2 sides person besides made advancement and reached statement connected immoderate circumstantial issues. This is precise good," helium added, without disclosing further details.

Blinken's 35-minute gathering with Xi astatine the Diaoyutai authorities impermanent location ended astatine 5:09 p.m. section clip (5:09 a.m. ET), the State Department said.

Shortly afterward, Xi said the satellite needed a "generally stable" China-U.S. relationship, adding that whether the 2 countries tin find the close mode to get on "bears connected the aboriginal of humanity," Chinese authorities media Xinhua reported.

The travel by Blinken makes him the highest-level American authoritative to sojourn China since Biden became U.S. president and the archetypal U.S. caput of State to marque the travel successful astir 5 years. A gathering with Xi had not been confirmed earlier Blinken arrived successful Beijing, and volition apt beryllium seen arsenic a affirmative motion that talks are going well.

Blinken said U.S. President Joe Biden had asked him to question to China due to the fact that "he believes the United States and China person an work to responsibly negociate our relationship."

"The United States is committed to doing that," Blinken said. "It's successful the involvement of the United States successful the involvement of China and successful the involvement of the world."

"I admit this accidental to sermon a mode guardant with you," Blinken told Xi.

Blinken's archetypal question plans for February were disrupted by quality of an alleged Chinese spy balloon flying implicit U.S. airspace. The U.S. yet changeable down the flying object, and tensions betwixt the world's 2 largest economies person since remained high.

It is expected that Blinken's sojourn to China could pave the mode for a November gathering betwixt Biden and Xi. The 2 satellite leaders past met successful idiosyncratic successful Bali, Indonesia, connected the sidelines of a G20 acme late past year.

Earlier, Blinken met apical Chinese diplomat Wang Yi connected Monday, aft "candid, substantive, and constructive talks" with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang connected Sunday.

The gathering was expected to interaction connected a scope of issues, including the value of unfastened lines of communication, Taiwan, the South China Sea and Russia's full-scale penetration of Ukraine.

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.

The caput besides "reiterated that the United States volition proceed to usage diplomacy to rise areas of interest and basal up for the interests and values of the American people."

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 some parties indispensable take betwixt practice and conflict, adding 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.

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. A fig of U.S. 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.

— CNBC's Evelyn Cheng contributed to this report.