The US Secretary of State secured a last-minute meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday, capping a two-day diplomatic push aimed at stabilising relations between the two world powers.
Washington and Beijing have been at odds under President Joe Biden, with tension mounting in recent months over Taiwan, security concerns and military close calls.
In February, the US shot down an alleged high-altitude Chinese surveillance balloon after it flew over North America.
And earlier this month, a Chinese warship sailed within 150 metres of an American destroyer and a Canadian frigate in the Taiwan Strait.
Antony Blinken, who had already had to postpone his visit to China over the surveillance balloon incident, is the highest-ranking US official to visit Beijing since his predecessor Mike Pompeo in 2018.
In addition to his 35-minute discussion with Mr Xi, the Secretary of State met Wang Yi, China’s top diplomat, as well as Foreign Minister Qin Gang
Before setting off for Beijing, Washington had sought to temper expectations of the trip, with US officials telling reporters the visit was not about deliverables.
China is Washington's top trading partner as well as its main competitor on the international stage, with Beijing expanding its influence from the Indo-Pacific to the Middle East and beyond.
But Mr Blinken's meeting with the Chinese President shows how seriously both sides are taking the relationship.
“We are clear-eyed about the challenges posed by the PRC [People's Republic of China],” Mr Blinken told reporters.
“The United States will advance a vision for the future that we share with so many others: a free, open, stable and prosperous world with countries upholding and updating the rules-based order that has for years safeguarded peace and security globally.”
Mr Xi said progress had been made during the Secretary of State’s trip.
Mr Blinken said he had “candid” and “substantive” discussions while in China, and also reiterated Washington’s “One China” policy with regard to Taiwan, stressing that the US does “not support Taiwan independence”.
But while the meetings may have helped to stabilise the relationship, Mr Blinken appears to have been unable to convince China to improve communications between their respective militaries.
“The fact that there was not a willingness at least at the moment to resume the military-to-military channels is again an indication that they are not willing to accept competition and commit to managing that competition,” said Bonnie Glaser, director of the Asia programme at the German Marshall Fund of the United States.
Ms Glaser said China views diplomacy through a completely different lens than the US and has been reluctant to publicly accept that the two countries are competitors.
“They're really dug in on their own interpretation of what the relationship should be,” Ms Glaser told The National.
“I think Xi Jinping does not want to accept that this is a very conflictual and contentious relationship because that would probably create more challenges for him domestically.”
While no major diplomatic breakthroughs were achieved on the trip, both sides agreed to keep communication channels open and entertained the possibility of future diplomatic visits – something Ms Glaser called “important”.
