The US is seeking to repair relations with China. For the first time in five years a top US diplomat visited the Asian powerhouse.

The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a more than seven-hour meeting with his Chinese counterpart Qin Gang. The US State Department has described the engagement as candid, substantive, and constructive. It adds that the meeting aimed to maintain open channels of communication. Blinken invited Qin to the US.

The Chinese Foreign Minister noted that relations have been at the lowest and is not in the interests for the people of both countries. Beijing says it wants development of cooperation between the two sides on a mutually beneficial basis.

Ties have deteriorated between China and the US over an array of issues, including trade, technology, regional security and Taiwan.