Xi hails ‘progress’ as he meets Blinken during rare China trip

China’s Xi Jinping hailed “progress” in talks with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Beijing on Monday, the final engagement of a rare trip aimed
at ensuring disputes between the superpowers do not spiral into conflict.
Blinken, the first holder of his post to meet the Chinese leader since 2018, had earlier strode towards Xi with his hand outstretched at the Great Hall of the People, a venue China often uses for greeting heads of state – positive signals in the choreography of diplomacy.
The two delegations then faced each other across a long conference table bedecked with pink lotus flowers, with Xi at the head and Blinken just to his right.
Their roughly 30-minute meeting could help facilitate a summit between Xi and U.S. President Joe Biden later in the year.