Introduction

At the end of a rare and pivotal visit to Beijing to prevent multiple great power differences from escalating into conflict, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday.

At the start of the meeting, Xi addressed Blinken, telling him, “I hope that through this visit, you will make a more positive contribution to achieving stability in Sino-US relations.”

Progress made during the meeting

The Chinese President stressed that during the meeting, “progress has been made” and the “foundations of mutual understanding” between the two countries have been reached.

“Both sides have made progress and reached mutual understanding on specific issues,” Xi told Blinken, according to footage broadcast on China’s official TV channel.

“The world needs to stabilize relations between China and the United States, whether the two countries can find the right path to meet the future of mankind,” he said.

Xi Jinping’s statement on cooperation

He also added to Blinken, “Neither side should impose its will on the other,” which shows that America’s interests are respected and we do not seek to challenge them.

Possibility of a summit between Xi Jinping and Joe Biden

The meeting, which took place on the last day of Blinken’s two-day visit, could lead to a summit between Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden later this year.

Cooperation and differences

US Secretary of State met with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, at the start of the second and final day of a rare visit to Beijing to prevent multiple disagreements between the two rival powers from escalating into conflict. Negotiations between high-ranking diplomats lasted about three hours.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi stressed to US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken that Beijing and Washington need to make a choice between “cooperation and disagreement.”

China’s stance on Taiwan

Wang Yi also assured Blinken during their meeting on Monday that his country would not make “any concessions” on Taiwan, state media reported.

He stressed the need for states to truly respect the principle of one China and respect its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Blinken’s first visit to China in 5 years

Notably, during a US Secretary of State’s first visit to China in five years, Blinken had “candid and constructive” talks with his Chinese counterpart, Qin Gan, on Sunday that exceeded seven and a half hours.

Lack of progress

But they seem to have made no tangible progress in the many disputes between the two countries that involve Taiwan, trade, human rights, stopping the flow of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, from China, or even the war in Ukraine.