Blinken’s visit to Beijing amid simmering tensions

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday, as the top U.S. diplomat wraps up his rare two-day visit to Beijing amid simmering U.S.-China tensions.

Blinken will meet with Xi at 4:30 p.m. local time, according to a State Department official.

The highest-level American official to visit China since Biden’s presidency

The trip by Blinken makes him the highest-level American official to visit China since Joe Biden became U.S. president and the first U.S. secretary of State to make the trip in nearly five years. Meeting Xi was only seen as a possibility before he arrived in Beijing, and will likely be seen as a positive sign that talks are going well.

Blinken’s meetings with top Chinese diplomats

Blinken was due to meet top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi on Monday, after “candid, substantive, and constructive talks” with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang on Sunday.

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