US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet with top Chinese officials on March 18 in Alaska, the White House said on Wednesday, the first high-level in-person contact between the two sparring countries under the Biden administration.

The meeting, taking place on Blinken's return from his first overseas trip to key US allies Japan and South Korea, will come amid what is shaping up to be a major US diplomatic push to solidify alliances in Asia and Europe to counter China...