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China’s Overseas Minister Qin Gang met with the U.S. ambassador in Beijing, Nicholas Burns, on Monday in one of many highest-level conferences between U.S. and Chinese language officers since a suspected Chinese language sky balloon despatched relations to new lows in February.

Talking with Burns in Beijing in talks that sign a possible thaw in ties, Qin known as on Washington to “meet China midway.”

“The highest precedence is to stabilize Sino-U.S. relations, keep away from a downward spiral and forestall any accidents between China and the USA,” he stated.

Burns posted on Twitter that the 2 “mentioned challenges within the U.S.-China relationship and the need of stabilizing ties and increasing high-level communication.”

I met State Councilor and Overseas Minister Qin Gang in the present day. We mentioned challenges within the U.S.-China relationship and the need of stabilizing ties and increasing high-level communication. pic.twitter.com/2AYxkXiVMI

— Ambassador Nicholas Burns (@USAmbChina) May 8, 2023

The assembly might pave the best way for extra senior-level exchanges after high-level contacts between Beijing and Washington had been frozen following the invention of a high-altitude Chinese language balloon floating over the USA in February.

The balloon, which Beijing claimed was for scientific functions, brought about Secretary of State Antony Blinken to cancel a visit to Beijing that was seen as a key step in arresting a worsening rivalry between the 2 international locations. Beijing and Washington have been at odds over Taiwan, U.S. curbs on Chinese language know-how, and Beijing’s partnership with Moscow all through the struggle in Ukraine.

U.S. to concentrate on nationwide safety, not commerce, in relations with China

On the assembly on Monday, Qin blamed “a collection of faulty phrases and deeds” by the USA for undermining progress made by Chinese language chief Xi Jinping and President Biden after they met in Bali in November of final 12 months.

“The agenda of dialogue and cooperation agreed by the 2 sides was disrupted and the connection between the 2 international locations as soon as once more hit an icy patch,” he stated.

Earlier than the assembly between Xi and Biden final 12 months, ties had been strained over a go to to Taiwan by then speaker of the Home of Representatives Nancy Pelosi. Beijing, which says Taiwan is underneath its rule and protests any visits by international dignitaries that help Taipei’s claims of sovereignty, launched navy workouts surrounding its primary island.

At an everyday press briefing in Beijing on Monday, Chinese language Overseas Ministry Spokesman Wang Wenbin stated Washington couldn’t proceed to “suppress and comprise” China. America should “appropriately deal with the Taiwan query,” he stated.

Earlier than the assembly between Qin and Burns, U.S. and Chinese language commerce officers met in Beijing in April, and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with China’s prime diplomat Wang Yi on the sidelines of the Munich Safety Convention in Berlin in February.

Pei-Lin Wu and Vic Chiang contributed to this report.

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