Senior US, Chinese diplomats hold 'candid' talks to avoid escalation of tensions

Senior diplomats from China and the United States have held “candid and productive” talks in Beijing and agreed to keep open lines of communication to avoid tensions from spiraling into conflict. Daniel Kritenbrink, assistant U.S. secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, is the most senior U.S. official confirmed to have visited China since the shooting down of a Chinese spy balloon over the U.S. in early February, sending tensions between Washington and Beijing soaring. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the time postponed a planned trip to China, and Beijing has largely rebuffed attempts at official exchanges. China’s Foreign Ministry said talks Monday between Kritenbrink and Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu were aimed at properly managing their differences.