Srinagar, May 1 -- The top American and Chinese diplomats held tough talks in Beijing last week, as the sparring superpowers sought to clarify their growing differences on an array of bilateral and global issues that could further strain the already tense relationship.

While US Secretary of State Antony Blinken claimed that ties are "beginning to stabilise," his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, did not mince words when addressing a number of contentious topics, including Ukraine, Taiwan and trade issues.

At the Beijing meeting, Wang warned Washington not to cross China's red lines on sovereignty, security and development, adding that "negative factors" have been mounting between the world's two largest economies as the relationship "faces ...