The US and China air global differences as their top diplomats meet for sixth time since last year

AP Diplomatic Writer

VIENTIANE, Laos (AP) — The United States and China have renewed their mutual grievances as Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his Chinese counterpart held their sixth meeting since last year amid an uncertain political situation in the U.S. and growing concerns about China’s increasing assertiveness in Asia and elsewhere. Blinken and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met for roughly an hour and 20 minutes on Saturday on the sidelines of an annual Southeast Asian regional security forum in Vientiane, Laos. U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said afterward that the pair had “an open and productive” discussion but hadn’t reached any significant agreements on the issues that divide them most in the Indo-Pacific, Europe and the Americas.