US Secretary of State Blinken starts talks in Beijing Afghanistan has a new holiday: the last US soldier has left the country

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang on Sunday to begin his visit to Beijing. The two delegations sat across from each other at two long tables in the government guest house. Blinken is in Beijing for the first time since US President Joe Biden took office in January 2021. The visit was originally scheduled for February. However, Blinken canceled the trip at short notice due to a suspected spy balloon over the United States. Relations between the two superpowers are tense.

Meetings with other senior Chinese government officials are scheduled during the visit, which will last until Monday. There is speculation that Blinken could meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Monday. Initially, no confirmation came from Beijing. US President Biden has already expressed interest in meeting Xi in the near future.

Relations between Beijing and Washington are strained over a number of issues. China’s support for Russia’s war against Ukraine, Beijing’s threats against the democratic island republic of Taiwan and the ongoing trade conflict between the two countries have caused disagreement. The Biden administration sees the biggest geopolitical challenge in China. Beijing, in turn, accuses the United States of hegemonic ambitions. (aeg/sda/dpa)