US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday as part of his visit to China. This follows a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

At the start of the talks with Blinken in Beijing, Xi said the two countries should be partners, not rivals.

He added that strengthening dialogue and promoting cooperation is not only the shared desire of the people of both countries but also the expectation of the international community.

The Chinese president went on to say that the two countries have maintained communication and made some progress in the past few months. But he pointed out that there are still many issues that need to be addressed and expressed the need for further efforts.

Blinken responded that the US and China are managing their differences and enhancing dialogue in order to avoid misunderstandings and miscalculations.

Ahead of his meeting with Xi, Blinken held talks with Wang.

According to the Chinese foreign ministry, Wang told Blinken that the Taiwan question is the first red line that must not be crossed in China-US relations. He reportedly called on the US to stop providing arms to Taiwan.

Wang also reportedly told Blinken that the US should not suppress China's economic development.

Blinken reportedly denied that the US seeks confrontation with China or aims to hinder its economic development.

The two reportedly agreed to continue their efforts to stabilize and further develop bilateral relations.