Foreign Minister Qin Gang and the visiting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday concluded five and a half hours of talks in Beijing, with both sides describing the discussion as "candid and constructive".

Both sides said the talks were useful, with state media characterising them as "candid, in depth and constructive" and a US spokesman describing them as "candid, substantive, and constructive".

They also emphasised the importance of making it easier for the others' citizens to visit, with state media saying they agreed to discuss increasing passenger flights and welcoming more students and business people.

A US State Department spokesman said Blinken had invited Qin to Washington to continue their discussions.

Blinken is the highest-ranking US government official to visit China since President Joe Biden took office in January 2021.

Qin greeted Blinken and his group at the door to a villa in the grounds of the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, as the two made small talk in English before shaking hands in front of a Chinese and an American flag.

After heading into a meeting room, neither Blinken nor Qin made comments in front of reporters who were briefly allowed in.

During his stay through Monday, Blinken is also expected to meet with China's top diplomat Wang Yi and possibly President Xi Jinping, seeking to establish open and durable communication channels to ensure the strategic rivalry between the two countries does not spiral into conflict.

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

Biden said on Saturday he hopes to meet with President Xi in the next several months.

A November meeting of the two leaders on the Indonesian island of Bali briefly eased fears of a new Cold War, but following the flight of an alleged Chinese spy balloon over the United States in February, high-level communication has been rare.

The rest of the world will closely follow Blinken's trip as any escalation between the superpowers could have worldwide repercussions on everything from financial markets to trade routes and practices and global supply chains.

"There's a recognition on both sides that we do need to have senior-level channels of communication," a senior US State Department official told reporters during a refuelling stop in Tokyo en route to Beijing.

"That we are at an important point in the relationship where I think reducing the risk of miscalculation, or as our Chinese friends often say, stopping the downward spiral in the relationship, is something that's important," the official said.

Particularly alarming for China's neighbours has been its reluctance to engage in regular military-to-military talks with Washington.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday before departing for Beijing, Blinken said his trip had three main objectives: setting up mechanisms for crisis management; advancing US and allies' interests; speaking directly about related concerns; and exploring areas of potential cooperation.

"If we want to make sure, as we do, that the competition that we have with China doesn't veer into conflict, the place you start is with communicating," Blinken said.

Among topics likely to be discussed are potentially increasing commercial flights between the two countries, a US official said, describing it as a move that would help promote people to people ties. (Reuters)
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Last updated: 2023-06-19 HKT 00:52