The US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said today that one of the goals of his upcoming trip to China is to “avoid miscalculations” with Beijing while pursuing common ground.

Blinken said he would speak candidly about “very real concerns” about a range of issues on his trip to China, which he said is aimed at establishing open and robust communication.

The trip aims to “open direct lines of communication so that our two countries can manage our relationship responsibly, including discussing some challenges and misperceptions as well as avoiding misjudgments” (which could lead to escalation ), Blinken said during a joint press conference with his Singaporean counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan by his side.

The head of US diplomacy is expected to leave Washington tonight for Beijing on Sunday and Monday where he will hold a series of meetings with Chinese officials.

During that trip, he also plans to “advance the interests and values ​​of the United States as well as convey directly and frankly our concerns on a range of issues.”

“Third, (Blinken) is going to explore the possibilities of cooperation” with Beijing to address global challenges such as climate change or the fight against synthetic drugs.

“An intense competition requires intensive diplomacy to ensure that it does not turn to confrontation or conflict,” he added, stressing that “the world expects the US and China to work together.”

When asked by a reporter, Blinken also said he would raise the issue of the detention of American citizens in China with Chinese authorities.

Blinken is the highest-ranking US official to visit China since 2018. His visit, originally planned for February, was canceled at the last minute due to the incident with the Chinese balloon flying over US soil.