Blinken, Chinese Foreign Minister Hold ‘Candid’ Talks in Beijing

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (L) walks with China's foreign minister Qin Gang ahead of a meeting at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on June 18, 2023. Leah Millis/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on June 17 had a “candid” talk with Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang in Beijing, the two sides said, at the start of a two-day visit that has drawn criticism as experts and U.S. lawmakers say that visiting China was a mistake.

Blinken, the highest-level U.S. official to set foot in China since President Joe Biden took office in 2021, is the first secretary of state to visit since 2018, when his predecessor, Mike Pompeo, visited China for one day.