UPDATE - Chinese, US top diplomats meet in New York

ADDS STATE DEPARTMENT READOUT IN GRAFS 6-8 ; EDITS GRAFS 2, 4-5

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – The top diplomats of China and the US met in New York on Friday, the first high-level contact between Beijing and Washington after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan last month, triggering unprecedented tensions.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken's meeting took place on the sidelines of the ongoing UN General Assembly.

China launched unprecedented military operations around Taiwan last month when Pelosi paid an unannounced trip to the self-ruled island nation, the first time in 25 years by a sitting US House speaker.

Beijing sees it as violation of its sovereignty and held massive military activities, including firing missiles, some over the island nation, home to over 24 million people. Besides military operations, China also suspended high-level military dialogue with Pentagon and cooperation on climate change.

Taiwan has maintained its independence since 1949 while Beijing has pursued a policy of reunifying the island with the mainland, including by force if necessary.

Following their meeting, the State Department said Wang and Blinken "discussed the need to maintain open lines of communication and responsibly manage the U.S.-PRC relationship, especially during times of tension." Price was referring to China by its formal acronym.

Blinken "emphasized that the United States is committed to maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, consistent with our longstanding one China policy," State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.

"He underscored that the United States remains open to cooperating with the PRC where our interests intersect," added Price.

*Michael Hernandez contributed to this story from Washington