Beijing, 19 June 2023 (dpa/MIA) - China and the United States agree on the need to stabilize their troubled relations, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at the end of his talks in Beijing on Monday.

Blinken said that "direct engagement and sustained communication at senior levels is the best way to responsibly manage our differences and ensure that competition does not veer into conflict."

But he said China had continued to refuse to set up channels for crisis communication and military contacts, something he had urged several times during his talks.

"And at this moment, China has not agreed to move forward with that," Blinken said.

During his two-day visit, the Blinken met with President Xi Jinping and had talks with top foreign policy official Wang Yi as well as Foreign Minister Qin Gang.

Photo: MIA archive