Update: Blinken Heads to China on Mission to Stabilize Ties

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Beijing later this week as the most senior U.S. official to visit China in five years amid escalating tensions between the world’s two biggest economies.

“As agreed between China and the U.S., Blinken will visit China from June 18 to 19,” China’s Foreign Ministry said late Wednesday in a statement.

The secretary will meet with senior Chinese officials and “discuss the importance of maintaining open lines of communication to responsibly manage the bilateral relationship,” the U.S. Department of State said in a statement.