Blinken arrives in Beijing for the first visit by America’s top diplomat to China in five years

USA state Secretary Antony Blinken arrived in Beijing on the highest-level visit between the two countries in years, amid heightened tensions that are keeping the world on edge.

Mr. Blinken is the highest-ranking US official to visit China in since then Joe Biden took the position and the first US Secretary of State to do so in five years, as he is charged with establishing communication with Beijing on a range of very key issues such as trade TaiwanChinese control and Ukraine war.

The US Secretary of State arrived in Beijing on Sunday morning for a two-day visit where he will meet with senior Chinese officials.

He will meet with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, top diplomat Wang Yi and possibly President Xi Jinping on Monday, according to US officials.

Mr Biden and Mr Xi agreed on Mr Blinken’s trip early at a meeting last year in Bali.

Discussions are expected to cover a wide range of contentious issues that have strained bilateral ties and have significant implications for global security and stability.

Topics on the agenda include trade relations with Taiwan, human rights issues in China, the situation in Hong Kong, China’s military determination in South China Seaand Russiaactions in Ukraine.

US officials said on Friday ahead of Mr Blinken’s visit that it would raise each of those concerns. However, the chances of a breakthrough are still slim, as both sides have shown no flexibility in changing their positions. But there were hints from both sides that tensions were easing.

In a meeting with Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates on Friday, Mr Xi said the US and China could work together “to the benefit of our two countries”.

“I believe that the foundation of China-US relations lies in the people,” Xi told Gates.

“In the current situation in the world, we can carry out various activities that benefit our countries, the people of our countries and the whole of humanity.”

China also recently hosted Elon Musk in what was seen as a Chinese effort to improve business relations with the US.

Mr Biden told White House reporters on Saturday that he “hopes to meet with Xi again in the next few months and talk about our legitimate differences, but also how to … get along”.

The two leaders are likely to attend the next G20 summit in New Delhi in September, and Mr Xi has also been invited to attend this year’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in San Francisco.

Before the visit, Mr. Blinken emphasized the importance of establishing and maintaining better lines of communication between the United States and China.

The U.S. wants to make sure “that the competition we have with China doesn’t turn into a conflict” because of avoidable misunderstandings, he told reporters.

Mr. Biden and Mr. Xi pledged to improve communication “precisely to be able to make sure that we communicate as clearly as possible to avoid potential misunderstandings and miscommunications,” Mr. Blinken said on Friday.

The much-anticipated trip comes after a series of hiccups and delays. The trip was initially planned for February, but was delayed due to heightened tensions between the US and China over control balloons.

Additional agency reporting