U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken shakes palms with China’s high diplomat Wang Yi throughout a gathering in Nusa Dua on the Indonesian resort island of Bali on July 9, 2022.

Stefani Reynolds/POOL/AFP through Getty Photographs

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Stefani Reynolds/POOL/AFP through Getty Photographs

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken shakes palms with China’s high diplomat Wang Yi throughout a gathering in Nusa Dua on the Indonesian resort island of Bali on July 9, 2022.

Stefani Reynolds/POOL/AFP through Getty Photographs

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and China’s high diplomat, Wang Yi, are planning to fulfill for talks this weekend in what would be the highest degree contact between the U.S. and China since the balloon disaster blew up earlier this month, a supply with information of the matter mentioned.

The assembly will happen in Munich, Germany, the place each are attending a world safety convention, mentioned the supply, who declined to be recognized as a result of he was not licensed to talk to the media.

Rigidity between China and the US has spiked for the reason that Feb. 4 shoot-down of what the Biden administration says was a Chinese language surveillance balloon that had floated throughout the continental U.S.

Beijing insists the balloon was a civilian craft for scientific analysis, and that capturing it down was an overreaction and a violation of worldwide follow.

The incident got here at a time of already heightened pressure between Beijing and Washington — however with each side beginning to take small steps to attempt to stop relations from deteriorating additional. Blinken had been scheduled to go to Beijing on Feb. 5-6, however postponed the journey after the balloon made headlines when it was sighted within the skies over Montana.

The State Division and China’s overseas ministry didn’t instantly reply to questions in regards to the assembly.

It is unclear how useful a gathering between Blinken and Wang shall be in stabilizing bilateral relations, on condition that each side have dug of their heels on the balloon.

Biden on Thursday mentioned he would speak with Chinese language chief Xi Jinping in regards to the incident, however would make no apologies for capturing down the balloon.

On Friday, a Chinese language overseas ministry spokesman mentioned the U.S. couldn’t search dialogue whereas on the similar time taking steps to deepen the disaster, a potential reference to sanctions the U.S. imposed on six Chinese language corporations in response to the balloon incident.