Blinken begins its meetings in Beijing | world

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken opened his meetings in Beijing on Sunday. He is the highest ranking US government official to visit China since President Joe Biden took office in January 2021.

The world’s two largest economies face a strained relationship, and Blinkin’s mission is to strengthen and improve communication between the two countries.

Blinken and his group were received by Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang in Beijing, and they shook hands in front of the Chinese and American flags.

After entering the conference room, neither Blinkin nor Chen made any comments.

Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Hua Chunying, who is attending the meeting, tweeted above a photo of Chen and Biden shaking hands: “I hope this meeting will help bring Sino-US relations back to what the two presidents agreed on in Bali.”

Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping held their first talks on the sidelines of the G20 summit in November on the Indonesian island of Bali.

During his stay through Monday, Blinken is also expected to meet China’s top diplomat Wang Yi and possibly Xi Jinping.

Blinken’s visit is expected to set the stage for more bilateral meetings in the coming months, including possible trips by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. It could also pave the way for meetings between Xi and Biden at multilateral summits later in the year.