On Monday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in an effort to mend the badly deteriorated relations between the United States and China.

They reached an agreement to “stabilize” these relations, although Blinken’s primary request for improved communication between their respective militaries was not granted, the Associated Press reports.

Following the meeting with Xi, Blinken revealed that China is not yet prepared to resume military-to-military contacts, which the United States views as crucial for preventing misjudgment and potential conflicts, particularly concerning Taiwan.

Despite this setback, both Blinken and Xi expressed their satisfaction with the progress made during the two-day talks.

Although they did not highlight specific areas of agreement, they did acknowledge a shared decision to return to a comprehensive agenda for cooperation and competition, which had been endorsed by Xi and President Joe Biden during a previous summit in Bali last year.

Written by staff