U.S., China remain at odds on numerous issues as Blinken finishes first day of meetings in Beijing

The United States and China have failed to overcome their most serious disagreements but were able to discuss them in a potentially constructive way and have agreed to continue talks, U.S. officials said Sunday.

The United States and China have failed to overcome their most serious disagreements but were able to discuss them in a potentially constructive way and have agreed to continue talks, U.S. officials said Sunday.

The officials said Secretary of State Antony Blinken was able during a nearly six-hour meeting to secure a visit to Washington by Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang. But, they said progress on other issues remains a work in progress.

Blinken, the highest-level American official to visit China since U.S. President Joe Biden took office, will have more senior level contacts with the Chinese on Monday, including potentially with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

Despite Blinken's presence in the Chinese capital and the relatively upbeat assessment of Sunday's meeting, the prospects for any significant breakthrough on the most vexing issues facing the planet's two largest economies remain slim.

Blinken's trip follows his postponement of plans to visit China in February after the shootdown of a Chinese surveillance balloon over the U.S. Blinken is the highest-level American official to visit China since President Joe Biden took office.

His talks could pave the way for a meeting in the coming months between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. He finished the first of two days of high-stakes diplomatic talks in Beijing aimed at trying to cool tensions that have set many around the world on edge.

That long list includes disagreements ranging from trade to Taiwan, human rights conditions in China and Hong Kong to Chinese military assertiveness in the South China Sea and Russia's war in Ukraine.