'Candid' talks but Blinken's Beijing visit could rein in tensions

The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, wrapped up a rare trip to Beijing where he met President Xi Jinping, concluding a high-stakes visit aimed at stabilising spiralling relations.

- Rachel Cheung and Patrick Wintour

Speaking at a press briefing in Beijing before his departure on Monday, Blinken said he had "an important conversation" with Xi during the 35-minute encounter and stressed it was the responsibility of both countries to find a path forward.

"In every meeting, I stressed that direct engagement and sustained communication at senior levels is the best way to responsibly manage our differences and ensure competition does not veer into conflict," Blinken said. "I heard the same from my Chinese counterparts."

"The two sides have had candid and in-depth discussions," Xi said at the start of the meeting at the Great Hall of the People, in comments broadcast on Chinese state television. "I hope that through this visit, Mr Secretary, you will make more positive contributions to stabilising China-US relations," Xi added, addressing Blinken.

The rest of the discussion was held behind closed doors. The Chinese readout said the two sides "made progress" and reached agreement on specific issues, without offering further details.