The US secretary of state Antony Blinken met with China’s President Xi Jinping on Monday as the two nations try to salvage a diplomatic relationship and ensure that it does not spiral towards conflict. Beijing has described ties between the two nations as being at a low point thanks to America’s “wrong perception” of the country. Mr Xi said he hopes Mr Blinken will make "more positive contributions" to stabilising China-US relations. "State-to-state interactions should always be based on mutual respect and sincerity," Mr Xi said. "I hope that, through this visit, Mr Secretary, you will make more positive contributions to stabilising China-US relations." Mr Blinken told the Chinese president that Joe Biden believes that the US and China have an obligation to manage our relationship and that “the US is committed to doing that”. Mr Blinken said the US and China agreed on the need to stabilise their bilateral relationship, adding that America is clear-eyed about the challenges that China poses. Mr Blinken also said US expected additional visits by senior US officials to China over the coming week. Hours of talks across two days have seemingly done little to bridge the two sides' differences on issues ranging from the status of Taiwan to trade, human rights or their approach to the war in Ukraine. However, the fact that the discussions are so extensive on the first visit to China by a US secretary of state in five years will only be seen as a positive by Washington. Mr Blinken’s meeting with Mr Xi was roughly 30 minutes long and could help facilitate a summit between Mr Biden and the Chinese president later in the year, it was reported. According to a video posted online by Chinese state television, Mr Xi said that “the two sides agreed to follow through with the common understandings President Biden and I had reached in Bali. The two sides have also made progress and reached the agreement on some specific issues. This is very good”. Mr Xi said China “hopes to see a sound and steady China-US relationship” and believes that the two countries “can overcome various difficulties”, according to Xinhua. Ahead of the meeting with Mr Xi, Mr Blinken met China’s top diplomat Wang Yi who warned that the US that the two nations “must take a responsible attitude toward the people, history and the world, and reverse the downward spiral of US-China relations.” According to the nation’s state media, he also said “it is necessary for the US to reflect deeply and work with China to manage differences and avoid strategic surprises”. Mr Wang spoke with Mr Blinken for more than three hours and told the US secretary of state that Washington must choose between “cooperation or conflict”. “The Secretary of State’s trip to Beijing this time comes at a critical juncture in China-US relations,” Mr Wang told Mr Blinken, according to state broadcaster CCTV. “It is necessary to make a choice between dialogue and confrontation, cooperation or conflict. We must reverse the downward spiral of China-US relations, push for a return to a healthy and stable track, and work together to find a correct way for China and the United States to get along,” Mr Wang added. He also reportedly asked the US to stop speculating on the “China threat theory” and lift “illegal unilateral sanctions” against China. On Sunday, Mr Blinken met with the Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang for seven and a half hours hoping to ease the tensions between the two sides. Mr Blinken invited the Chinese foreign minister to visit Washington and the invitation was accepted, according to US state department spokesperson Matt Miller. He called the talks with Mr Qin “candid, substantive and constructive”. “The Secretary invited foreign minister Qin to Washington to continue discussions, and they agreed to schedule a reciprocal visit at a mutually suitable time,” Mr Miller said. He added that Mr Blinken had emphasised the “importance of diplomacy and maintaining channels of communication across the full range of issues to reduce the risk of misperception or miscalculation”. Mr Blinken stressed “the need to reduce the risk of misperception and miscalculation” in his talks with Mr Qin on Sunday. China took a strong stand on Taiwan with reports suggesting that Mr Wang told the US secretary of state that China has no room for compromise and concessions on the Taiwan issue. “On this issue, China has no room to compromise or concede,” Mr Wang told Mr Blinken, according to CCTV. “The United States must truly adhere to the One China principle confirmed in the three joint US-China communiques, respect China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and clearly oppose ‘Taiwan independence’.” “Despite very low expectations for any breakthroughs made during Blinken’s visit to China, there is still hope that both sides can maintain their ‘bottom line’ in the relationship,” state-run Global Times said in an editorial on Monday. “This is going to be a process of sustained diplomacy,” one senior State Department official, speaking on the condition of anonymity told Reuters. The Taiwan premier Chen Chien-jen told the media: “For this high-level interaction between China and the United States, Taiwan closely grasps the relevant details.” “Qin Gang pointed out that the Taiwan issue is the core of China’s core interests, the most important issue in Sino-US relations, and the most prominent risk,” Chinese state media quoted Mr Qin as having told the US diplomat. Read More Blinken opens second day of talks in Beijing on mission to ease soaring US-China tensions Blinken seeks to warm up frosty US-China relations in high-stakes Beijing trip Watch: Antony Blinken visits China for high-stakes meeting after ‘spy balloon’ Watch: Antony Blinken visits China for high-stakes meeting after ‘spy balloon’ Blinken seeks to warm up frosty US-China relations in high-stakes Beijing trip Taiwan handbook teaches civilians how to spot ‘enemy’ Chinese soldiers

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Four men have been arrested after a hearse was driven on to the pitch during a pre-season football match, forcing officials to abandon the game. The friendly between non-league teams Gateshead and Dunston was called off on Friday at half-time after the hearse was driven on to the pitch at Dunston’s UTS Stadium, Tyne and Wear, along with a Subaru, shortly before 8.20pm. Both vehicles were spun around in circles while leaflets were thrown from one of the cars at the club on Wellington Road. Men wearing balaclavas left the hearse and joined the second car, which was driven off the pitch and out of the stadium. Disorder will not be tolerated in the community, and anyone found to be involved will be dealt with robustly Northumbria Police statement The hearse was left on the pitch. Northumbria Police said on Saturday that three men – two aged 19 and one aged 32 – had been arrested on suspicion of affray, while a 41-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit criminal damage. They remain in police custody. A statement from Northumbria Police said: “Disorder will not be tolerated in the community, and anyone found to be involved will be dealt with robustly. “Officers would like to thank members of the public who have come forward to assist the investigation to date. People are also reminded to continue to avoid any speculation online and on social media as enquiries continue. “Police will remain in the area throughout the weekend – and those with concerns and information are encouraged to speak with an officer on duty.” Anyone with information or footage of the incident is asked to get in contact with Northumbria Police through the force’s website, or by calling 101 quoting reference number NP-20230721-1154.

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