US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is to meet with top Chinese officials on Thursday next week in Alaska, the White House said on Wednesday, the first high-level in-person contact between the two countries under the administration of US President Joe Biden. The meeting, taking place on Blinken’s return from his first overseas trip to key US allies Japan and South Korea, would come amid a major US diplomatic push to solidify alliances in Asia and Europe to counter China. US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan is to join the meeting in Anchorage with Chinese Central Foreign Affairs Commission Director Yang Jiechi