Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang (2nd, left) and his US counterpart Antony Blinken (2nd, right) at their talks in Beijing, June 18, 2023. Photo: AFP/VNA

Meanwhile, other US State Department officials revealed that Blinken and Qin  expressed their desire to stabilize the relationship between the two powers and prevent competition from veering into conflict.

Blinken made it very clear during the meeting in Beijing that the United States does not want to decouple from China, and there was agreement for the two sides to continue talks to make progress on a number of fronts, the officials said.  

Qin clarified China's concerns about its core interests, including the Taiwan issue, calling it the most prominent risk in China-US relations.

The two also agreed to discuss increasing mutual commercial flights as well as student and business exchanges.

Observers expect Secretary of State Blinken's visit to China to pave the way for other bilateral meetings in the coming months, including possible trips by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. It could also set the stage for meetings between President Xi Jinping and President Joe Biden at multilateral summits later in the year.