BEIJING (AP) — The United States and China are butting heads over a number of contentious bilateral, regional and global issues as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping and senior Chinese officials. Friday’s meetings started with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and then Public Security Minister Wang Xiaohong. Talks between the two sides have increased in recent months even as differences have grown. Blinken and Wang underscored the importance of keeping lines of communication open, but they also lamented that divisions were becoming more serious. Their opening comments hinted at a long list of differences to be discussed, including Taiwan, the South China Sea, trade, human rights and China’s support for Russia.