Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met to discuss competition and cooperation between the two countries.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan have held talks aimed at staying in touch, both sides said, with Wang emphasizing that “Taiwan independence” posed the greatest risk for relations between China and the United States.
Wang and Sullivan met in Bangkok, Thailand, on Saturday, just over two months after U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping met on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco.
The two “maintained sincere, substantive and fruitful strategic communication on the implementation of the consensus reached at the San Francisco meeting… and on the proper handling of important and sensitive issues in China-US relations,” the ministry said. of Foreign Affairs of China in a statement.
The White House said the meeting between the officials was “part of the effort to maintain open lines of communication” between the two countries.
He added that “Sullivan emphasized that although the United States and China compete, both countries must prevent it from spiraling into conflict or confrontation.”
Beijing and Washington have previously clashed over issues related to technology, trade, human rights and Taiwan, which China claims as its territory.
Taiwan
In the recent Taiwanese elections, the Democratic Progressive Party (DDP) won a third term. The DPP resists China's claim to Taiwan.
This week, two US lawmakers met with Taiwan's new leader, Lai Ching-te, to reaffirm Washington's support for the self-ruled island.
This was the second group to arrive in Taiwan since the election after Biden sent an unofficial delegation to congratulate Lai two days after the vote.
But, according to China's Foreign Ministry, Wang stressed in the meeting with Sullivan that Taiwan was “China's internal affair, and regional elections in Taiwan cannot change the basic reality that Taiwan is part of China.”
“The biggest risk to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is the so-called 'Taiwan independence' movement. The biggest challenge to China-US relations is also the 'Taiwan independence' movement,” he added.
Ahead of the meeting, Taiwan's Defense Ministry said China sent 33 aircraft, including SU-30 fighters and six navy ships, around Taiwan between 6 a.m. Friday and 6 a.m. Saturday (10 p.m. Thursday – 22:00 Friday GMT). Among those sent, 13 fighter jets crossed the Taiwan Strait, an unofficial border between Taiwan and China.
The White House said Sullivan “underscored the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait” without elaborating.
High level diplomacy
In addition to cross-Strait issues, officials also discussed other topics, including Russia's war against Ukraine, Iran and the Middle East, North Korea, the South China Sea and Myanmar, the White House said.
Both sides agreed that the two presidents would maintain regular contacts, provide strategic guidance on bilateral relations and promote exchanges between the United States and China in different areas and levels, the Chinese ministry said.
The two sides will set up a call between President Xi and President Biden, the White House said in a statement, as part of “high-level diplomacy” efforts.
They also agreed to launch a joint working group on anti-drug cooperation and establish an intergovernmental dialogue on artificial intelligence.
Sullivan and Wang “acknowledged recent progress in resuming military-to-military communication and noted the importance of maintaining these channels,” the White House added.
