Blinken and Xi pledge to stabilise damaged US-China ties

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Monday, June 19, 2023. (Leah Millis/Pool Photo via AP)

US secretary of state Antony Blinken has met Chinese President Xi Jinping and said they agreed to “stabilise” badly deteriorated US-China ties, but America’s top diplomat left Beijing without securing better communication between their militaries.

Mr Blinken said Beijing is not ready to resume military-to-military contact, which Washington considers crucial to avoid miscalculation and conflict, particularly over Taiwan.