Speaking at a press briefing in Beijing before his departure, Blinken said he had "an important conversation" with Xi during the 35-minute encounter and stressed it was the responsibility of both countries to find a path forward: "In every meeting, I stressed that direct engagement and sustained communication at senior levels is the best way to responsibly manage our differences and ensure competition does not veer into conflict. I heard the same from my Chinese counterparts."
Blinken, the first holder of his post to meet the Chinese leader since 2018, strode towards Xi with his hand outstretched at the Great Hall of the People, a venue China often uses for greeting heads of state - positive signals in the choreography of diplomacy.
"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 stabilising China-US relations."
The rest of the discussion was held behind closed doors. The Chinese readout said the two sides "made progress" and reached agreement on specific issues, without offering further details.
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