Chinese leader Xi Jinping and US State Secretary Antony Blinken met in Beijing on Monday, potentially reaching a crucial step toward warming ties between Washington and Beijing after numerous diplomatic rows.

"The two sides made progress and reached agreement on some specific issues. This is very good," Xi said, addressing Blinken as the two delegations sat across from one another at a long table.

Xi said he hoped Blinken could use the visit to "make positive contributions to stabilizing US-China relations" adding that "state-to-state interactions should always be based on mutual respect and sincerity."

"President Xi said state-to-state interactions should always be based on mutual respect and sincerity. Hope this visit by Secretary Blinken could make positive contributions to stabilizing relations," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying tweeted.

The visit was planned for February, but it had to be postponed after tensions with China forced Washington to suspend its plans.

The United States claimed that China sent a spy balloon over its airspace, with the US intelligence community claiming that the aerial object was part of a vast surveillance program of the Chinese People's Liberation Army.

The balloon was flying over the North American Aerospace Defense Command on January 28, over Alaska, before it was found floating over missile sites in Montana. Days later, after tracking, the US decided to shoot it down over the South Carolina coast. 

There were also several related incidents in the days that followed.

"The Chinese side stated its position, and both sides agreed to jointly implement the consensus reached by me and US President Joe Biden in Bali [on the sidelines of the G20 summit in 2022]. The parties have also made progress and reached agreements on some specific issues, which is very good," Xi added during his meeting with Blinken.

Future of mankind dependent on US-China ties

The future and the fate of humanity depend on whether China and the United States will find the right way to coexist, President Xi added during his meeting with Blinken.

"The future and destiny of mankind depend on whether the United States and China can find the right path to coexistence," Xi added.

Moreover, he underlined that both the US and China's common interests should be valued. "The success of one country is an opportunity, not a threat, to another."

The Chinese leader highlighted that Beijing respected Washington's interests, saying it would not challenge them nor try to replace them. The US should follow in Beijing's footsteps and respect China and not prejudice its legitimate rights and concerns, he added.

Touching further on his country's ties to the United States, Xi noted the concerns of the international community about the state of affairs between the United States and China, underlining that it does not want to choose either party.

"Now the international community is concerned about the relationship between China and the United States, it does not want to see confrontations between the two countries, does not want to choose one of the parties, hopes for peaceful coexistence, friendship and cooperation between China and the United States," the CCTV broadcaster quoted the Chinese leader as saying.

Beijing hopes Washington will take a rational and pragmatic stance towards China, Xi added.

He also voiced hope that Chinese-US ties overcome all difficulties and "be healthy and stable".

China "believes that the two major powers can overcome all difficulties and find the right way to get along with each other on the basis of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and mutually beneficial cooperation."

The meeting between Xi and Blinken came despite the top diplomat's schedule published by the State Department did not show that he was not going to meet him.

Blinken landed in China on Sunday, marking his first visit to the country as Secretary of State and the first of an official in his position since 2018. 

The US State Secretary's schedule showed that he will be holding talks with former Chinese Foreign Minister and Central Foreign Affairs Office Director Wang Yi on Monday morning before partaking in a roundtable with exchange program students in Beijing, in addition to one with top US businessmen.

US media reported before Blinken landed in China that it was not known whether he was going to meet the Chinese President, noting that such a meeting was a possibility.

Relations between the two largest economies have deteriorated rapidly in the past years. The trade war on China, which was launched during former US President Donald Trump's term, was stretched by Biden's administration to include a military escalation against Beijing in the South China Sea, including violating the "one China" policy and deepening relations with Taiwan.

Biden's administration also launched a tech offensive against China's chip industry, bringing together its allies to join in on the efforts to curb the Asian giant's developing semiconductor sector.

The conflict between the two countries also raised concerns over a possible military clash that might lead to an all-out world war.