Blinken meets Xi in Beijing as both sides seek to stabilize US-China relationship

On the final day of his high-stakes visit to Beijing, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The meeting is a key sign of China's interest in taking steps to rebuild the relationship which is at its lowest point in decades. The meeting takes place days after Xi met Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and said the foundation of China-US relations is "in the people." Blinken is the first US Secretary of State to visit China in five years. On Monday, he met with China's top diplomat Wang Yi. According to state media, Wang Yi said the two sides must "reverse the downward spiral of US-China relations." He also asked the US to lift unilateral sanctions against China and halt its tech crackdown. On Sunday, he met with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang for "candid" talks that spanned 7.5 hours. They agreed to maintain high-level ties. Qin also accepted an invitation to the US and called for stable relations while making clear Taiwan is the "core of China's core interests." Before the talks, US officials said Blinken's main goal is to re-establish lines of communications, especially direct military-to-military communications. On Saturday, US President Joe Biden said he believes Blinken's trip to China could ease tensions. Biden added that he hopes to meet with Xi in "the next few months." Blinken's meeting with the Chinese leader paves the way for that very meeting. CNN's Kristie Lu Stout reports.