Blinken warns Foreign Minister Wang of the dangers of misunderstandings and miscalculations in U.S.-China ties

US-China tensions rise as Secretary of State Blinken meets with Chinese officials to discuss contentious issues.

The United States and China butted heads over a number of contentious bilateral, regional and global issues as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met on April 26 with senior Chinese officials and warned of the dangers of misunderstandings and miscalculations.

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Mr. Blinken's discussions started with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and then Public Security Minister Wang Xiaohong, who said Blinken would also see President Xi Jinping — a meeting that had been expected but not previously announced by either said. A State Department official confirmed that Blinken would meet the president before leaving the country.

Talks between the two sides have increased in recent months, even as differences have grown. Mr. Blinken and Mr. Wang underscored the importance of keeping lines of communication open, but they also lamented that divisions were becoming more serious in nature.

They each underscored the importance of keeping lines of communication open but they also lamented persistent and deepening divisions that threaten global security. Those divisions were highlighted earlier this week when U.S. President Joe Biden signed a massive foreign aid bill that contains several elements that the Chinese see as problematic.

Their comments hinted at a long list of differences to be discussed, including Taiwan and the South China Sea, and trade and human rights, China’s support for Russia and the production and export of synthetic opioid precursors.

“Overall, the China-U.S. relationship is beginning to stabilize,” Mr. Wang told Mr. Blinken at the start of about 5 1/2 hours of talks. “But at the same time, the negative factors in the relationship are still increasing and building and the relationship is facing all kinds of disruptions.”