Key takeaways:
- Secretary of State Antony Blinken concluded his two-day visit to Beijing, China, saying it was an “important start” in stabilizing U.S. ties with China.
- The visit was productive, but not a breakthrough in terms of re-establishing communication between the two militaries.
- The visit was Blinken’s first to China as Secretary of State and the two countries discussed a range of issues, including human rights, climate change, and economic ties.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken has concluded his two-day visit to Beijing, China, saying the trip was an “important start” in stabilizing U.S. ties with China. Blinken met with Chinese officials, including President Xi Jinping, to discuss the re-establishment of military-to-military communication between the two countries.
Blinken said that while the visit was productive, it was not a breakthrough in terms of re-establishing communication between the two militaries. He said that the effort is still a “work in progress” and that stopping the downward spiral in relations between the two countries “is not the product of one visit, even as intense and in some ways productive as this was.”
The visit was postponed earlier this year after the U.S. downed a Chinese spy balloon that traversed the U.S. Blinken said that the incident should now be closed. When asked if Xi had said “no” to opening a direct line of contact between the two militaries, Blinken did not answer directly.
The visit was Blinken’s first to China as Secretary of State and the first high-level visit since President Joe Biden took office. The two countries discussed a range of issues, including human rights, climate change, and economic ties.
Blinken’s interview with NBC News will air tonight on “NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt” at 6:30 p.m. ET and 5:30 p.m. It is expected to provide further insight into the visit and the state of U.S.-China relations.
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