Washington: US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken hosted Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in continuation of meetings of between US and Chinese officials to maintain open communication between two countries, said US Department of State.

The meeting which was held on Thursday in Washington, was a reciprocal meeting after the US Secretary's visit to Beijing.

As per the press statement the meeting was focused on responsibly handling the US-china relations and discussing a range of bilateral, regional, and global issues, including addressing areas of difference as well as exploring areas of cooperation.

The US department of State spokesperson, Mathew Miller said in a statement, "Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken hosted PRC Director of the CCP Central Foreign Affairs Commission and Foreign Minister Wang Yi for an official visit today in Washington. The meeting was part of a reciprocal visit following the Secretary's travel to Beijing and recent high-level meetings as part of ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communication and responsibly manage U.S.-China relations."

The statement added, "The Secretary and Director and Foreign Minister Wang discussed a range of bilateral, regional, and global issues, including addressing areas of difference as well as exploring areas of cooperation. The Secretary reiterated that the United States will continue to stand up for our interests and values and those of our allies and partners."

Meanwhile, the Secretary Blinken also expressed grief over the passing of former Chinese premier Li Keqiang.

Earlier in June, Chinese President Xi Jinping meets the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Beijing.

In an unannounced and rare meeting, the Chinese Leader extends his hand to greet America's top diplomat and sat down for a half-an-hour-long meeting along with the respective delegates.

Blinken who was on a 2-day visit to Beijing after cancelling the scheduled trip in February this year also held an almost 10-hour-long meeting with his then counterpart Qin Gang and then China's foreign affairs adviser Wang Yi.