US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, shakes hands with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, right, at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China, Sunday, June 18, 2023. (Leah Millis/Pool Photo via AP)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken extended Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang with an invitation for a reciprocal visit to Washington while claiming that the US "will always stand up for the interests and values of the American people."

The US State Department Spokesperson, Matthew Miller, stated that "Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken held candid, substantive, and constructive talks today with People’s Republic of China (PRC) State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang in Beijing."

Miller stressed that Blinken told Gang that Washington sought to continue its cooperation with its allies to advance their vision "for a world that is free, open, and upholds the international rules-based order."

#US Secretary of State #AntonyBlinken landed in China on Sunday, months after his originally scheduled visit was canceled over the balloon incident dispute and #America's anti-#China international campaign. pic.twitter.com/ybs7t1uRjx
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) June 18, 2023

It was also noted that Blinken stressed "the importance of diplomacy and maintaining open channels of communication across the full range of issues to reduce the risk of misperception and miscalculation."

According to AFP, a US official, on the condition of anonymity, said the two top diplomats "agreed to work together to expand the number of flights" without mentioning the number of flights.

The spokesperson highlighted that talks between Blinken and Gang are set to continue on June 19.

On his part, Gang agreed to "schedule a reciprocal visit at a mutually suitable time" reaffirming that "currently, China-US relations are at their lowest point since the establishment of diplomatic ties, which is contrary to the fundamental interests of the peoples of both countries and does not meet the aspirations of the international community."

Moreover, Gang explained that "the Taiwan issue is the core of China's core interests, the most important issue in China-US relations and the most prominent risk," according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.

It is worth noting that Blinken is the first State Secretary and the first top official since US President Joe Biden took office in 2021 to visit China in over five years.

On Saturday, US President Joe Biden told reporters that he intended to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping "over the next several months" to discuss "legitimate differences we have but also how... to get along."

Relations between the two largest economies have deteriorated rapidly in the past years. The trade war on China, which was launched during former US President Donald Trump's term, was stretched by Biden's administration to include a military escalation against Beijing in the South China Sea, including violating the "one China" policy and deepening relations with Taiwan.

Biden's administration also launched a tech offensive against China's chip industry, bringing together its allies to join in on the efforts to curb the Asian giant's developing semiconductor sector.

The conflict between the two countries also raised concerns over a possible military clash that might lead to an all-out world war.