Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang met with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Beijing on Sunday.

As agreed between China and the U.S., Blinken is visiting China from June 18 to 19.

When asked about China's expectations from Blinken's visit on Friday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said that during the visit, the two sides will exchange views on bilateral relations and important international and regional issues of mutual interest, and China will make clear its position on bilateral relations as well as its concerns and will resolutely safeguard its interests.

Noting that the U.S. keeps emphasizing the need for dialogue and communication, building guardrails, and putting a floor under China-U.S. relations, the spokesperson said that China's door to dialogue and communication is open and communication between the two countries has never stopped.

Blinken will meet senior officials to discuss the importance of maintaining open lines of communication to responsibly manage the relationship and will also discuss potential cooperation on shared transnational challenges, according to Matthew Miller, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State.

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(CGTN's Dong Xue, Wang Jigang, Wang Lei contributed to the story)