Senior U.S. and Chinese officials discussed the importance of stabilizing bilateral relations on Monday after recent events derailed efforts to repair ties.
Why it matters: It's the first known meeting between China's Foreign Minister Qin Gang and U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns since the U.S. downed a suspected Chinese spy balloon in February.
Catch up quick: China suspended several cooperation channels with the U.S. after then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan last August.
- The tensions somewhat eased last November when President Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping met at the G20 summit and pledged to improve cooperation.
- But the rift widened again over the spy balloon incident, with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken postponed his scheduled trip to Beijing and China declining a U.S. request for a call between U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe.
- For its part, China maintains the balloon was a civilian airship that was blown off course.
What they're saying: "We discussed challenges in the U.S.-China relationship and the necessity of stabilizing ties and expanding high-level communication," Burns tweeted after meeting with Qin on Monday.
- During the meeting, Qin said that the "top priority is to stabilize Sino-U.S. relations, avoid a downward spiral and prevent any accidents between China and the United States," per a statement released by China's Foreign Ministry.
- Qin urged the U.S. to "stop undermining China's sovereignty, security and development interests," especially on the issue of Taiwan. He also asked Washington to handle "accidents" in bilateral relations in a "calm, professional and practical" manner.
What to watch: Blinken said last week that he hoped to reschedule a visit to China later this year, stressing the importance of re-establishing "regular lines of communication at all levels and across our government."
