FILE PHOTO: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken looks on during a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan at the Intercontinental O2 Hotel in London, Britain, June 21, 2023. REUTERS/Leah Millis/Pool
SEOUL — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called key ally South Korea to discuss results of his visit to China this month, South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Saturday.
Blinken told South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin he had had a long, honest, practical and constructive dialogue with the Chinese side, and wanted to explain the results of his visit to China in as much detail as possible in a timely manner, the statement said.
Blinken and Park decided to continue to communicate regarding relations with China and to urge Beijing to play a constructive role in North Korea’s suspension of provocations and denuclearisation, the ministry said.
During the visit to China where Blinken met President Xi Jinping and other top officials, the two sides agreed to stabilise their intense rivalry so it does not veer into conflict, but failed to produce any major breakthrough.