Even as Mr. Blinken’s plane approached Shanghai, the challenges ahead were apparent. He was set to land just hours after the U.S. Senate passed a bill, which President Biden is expected to quickly sign into law, that provides $8 billion to Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific region, and could also lead to a nationwide ban on the Chinese-owned app TikTok.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken raised concerns over unfair trade practices in the world’s No. 2 economy as he began talks in China, with the threat of US sanctions on Beijing for its support of Russia looming over his visit.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met China's top official in Shanghai on Thursday as ties between Washington and Beijing stabilise, hoping to resolve on his trip a raft of issues that could jeopardise the newly repaired relationship.