Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi warned his American counterpart, Anthony Blinken, at the meeting of the top diplomats of the two countries on Friday in Beijing, not to step on China's "red lines".
Wang opened the meeting with a question that sounded more like a warning, which was whether China and the United States of America (US) should stick to the right course of moving forward with stability or return to a downward trajectory.
"China-US relations are starting to stabilize, but they are still under the test of 'negative factors,'" he added.
Both countries could cooperate or not, and even "slip into conflict," Wang said.
He emphasized that China considers sovereignty, security and development to be red lines, and warned the US not to step over them, reports the BBC.
Blinken, who is on his second visit to China in less than a year, was more cautious in his remarks to Wang in front of reporters.
"Beijing and Washington have a shared responsibility to push ties forward through 'active diplomacy,'" he said.
Even so, he said he would be clear and direct about the differences between their countries to avoid miscalculations in what he called the world's most consequential relationship.
Some of these differences were highlighted earlier this week after Washington approved its latest aid package that included military aid to Taiwan. This drew sharp criticism from Beijing, which called it a "serious violation of the one-China principle".
China claims that self-ruled Taiwan is a breakaway province that will eventually come under Beijing's control, but the island sees itself as separate.
Blinken's visit also comes days after the US passed legislation that will force Chinese-owned TikTok to sell or be banned in the US.
Behind the scenes, the Americans have been warning Beijing to stop exporting parts to Russia that it says are helping Moscow in its war in Ukraine.
The visit, however, is part of a significant increase in dialogue and diplomacy, however cold, between these rival powers - an attempt to even out relations after a period of enormous tension last year.
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