Secretary of State Tony Blinken during a news conference at the State Department in Washington, D.C., earlier this month. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Secretary of State Tony Blinken spoke with China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi on matters including "the need to maintain open lines of communication and responsibly manage" the countries' relationship, per a State Department statement Sunday evening.
Why it matters: The latest of several exchanges between Washington and Beijing officials indicates a thawing of tensions between the two nations and ahead of a possible meeting between President Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jingping at next month's G20 summit, notes Bloomberg.
What they're saying: In addition to discussing U.S.-China relations, Blinken "raised Russia's war against Ukraine and the threats it poses to global security and economic stability" during their phone conversation Sunday, according to the statement from State Department spokesperson Ned Price.
The big picture: Tensions between the two nations have been heightened since House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in the summer — prompting China's military to conduct live military drills near the island.