Blinken, Xi discuss stabilizing U.S.-China relations

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping but failed to reach any major compromises. Xi would not agree to direct military-to-military communication, something the United States considers a crucial ingredient for avoiding miscalculations and misinterpretation between the two powers. Still, both sides agreed to work toward stabilizing relations.

Will relations actually become more stable? Xi said China and the United States had reached an agreement on specific issues but did not elaborate. Blinken said that the United States set limited goals for his visit and achieved them. The two sides have shown little interest in changing their postures on key issues such as Taiwan, Chinese aggression in the South China Sea, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Dig deeper: Read Erica Kwong’s report in World Tour about China’s recent crackdown on Western diplomats and businesses.