Blinken meets Xi during pivotal China trip to salvage frosty ties

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday, wrapping up a rare and pivotal trip to Beijing that aimed at ensuring the many disputes between the superpowers do not spiral into conflict.

Becoming the first US Secretary of State to meet the Chinese leader since 2018, Blinken strode towards Xi with his hand outstretched as the Chinese President stood to greet him at the Great Hall of the People.

The two delegations later faced each other across a long conference table bedecked with pink lotus flowers, with Xi at the head and Blinken just to his right. The meeting, on the final day of Blinken's two-day visit, could help to facilitate a summit between Xi and US President Joe Biden later in the year.

"The two sides have had candid and in-depth discussions," Xi said at the start of the meeting in comments broadcast on Chinese state television.

"I hope that through this visit, Mr. Secretary, you will make more positive contributions to stabilizing China-US relations," Xi added, addressing Blinken.

Earlier, Blinken held extensive discussions with China's top diplomat Wang Yi on Monday, and foreign minister Qin Gang on Sunday.

The talks, held at the Diaoyutai state guest house in Beijing, did not appear to make much progress in bridging the two sides' differences on issues ranging from Taiwan to trade, human rights, stemming the flow of synthetic opioid fentanyl or their approach to the war in Ukraine.

Blinken underscored the importance of open communication channels to manage their competition during more than three hours of talks with Wang, which the State Department called "productive".

Describing the US-China relationship as being at a low point, Wang said the root cause was the United States' wrong perception of China.

"We must take a responsible attitude toward the people, history and the world, and reverse the downward spiral of US-China relations," Wang said during the meeting with Blinken, according to a statement released by China's foreign ministry.

Wang urged the United States to stop speculating on threats from China, abandon its "suppression" of China's scientific and technological development, and refrain from interfering in its internal affairs, according to Chinese state media.

The lack of regular and open communication channels between the world's top two economies has sent jitters around the world, and Beijing's reluctance to engage in regular military-to-military talks with Washington has alarmed China's neighbours.

During 7-1/2 hours of talks with Qin on Sunday, Blinken stressed "the need to reduce the risk of misperception and miscalculation", the State Department said.

Both sides emphasized the importance of making it easier for their citizens to visit and agreed on working to increase passenger flights, which boosted Chinese airline shares.

They also expressed a desire to stabilise bilateral ties despite what one US official called their "profound" differences, and agreed that Qin would visit Washington to continue the conversation, though no date was announced.

"This is going to be a process of sustained diplomacy," one senior State Department official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said on Sunday.

Blinken's trip, which was postponed in February after a suspected Chinese spy balloon flew over US airspace, is closely followed worldwide as further deterioration of ties between the world's two largest economies could have global implications on financial markets, trade practices and routes and supply chains.