Xi Jinping Meets Antony Blinken as U.S., China Resume High-Level Engagement

China and the U.S. took steps to halt the spiral in relations, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken meeting Chinese leader Xi Jinping, though the two powers might have trouble keeping their global rivalry from swamping the tentative rapprochement.

During two days of meetings in Beijing, Blinken and senior Chinese foreign-policy officials agreed to more high-level talks, continuing a thaw after months of near-frozen contacts. They also promised to find common ground on increasing flights between the two countries and combating the flow of fentanyl into the U.S.

Xi blessed the fledgling momentum in ties, granting Blinken a much-anticipated audience on Monday and urging the U.S. diplomat to “make more positive contributions to stabilize U.S.-China relations.”