The White House announces that Joe Biden and Xi Jinping are scheduled to hold talks soon.
Washington [US], August 29: The United States and China are preparing for a phone call between President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping "in the coming weeks," according to a White House statement issued on Thursday.
The call is expected to take place before the US presidential elections in November. The plans were discussed during a two-day meeting between Biden's national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, and China's Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, which was held in Yanqi Lake, Beijing on August 27-28.
The White House also noted that efforts will be made to arrange a phone conversation between military theatre commanders "in the near future."
The two leaders previously met in California in November 2023 at the Woodside Summit.
During Sullivan and Wang's discussions, they engaged in candid, substantive, and constructive talks covering various bilateral, regional, and global issues.
Both sides acknowledged the significance of the strategic communication channel established over the past 18 months and committed to ongoing high-level diplomacy and working-level consultations.
They addressed the implementation of commitments from the Woodside Summit, including counternarcotics efforts, military-to-military communications, and AI safety and risk management.
The diplomats also discussed steps to reduce the flow of illicit synthetic drugs, continue the repatriation of undocumented migrants, and enhance law enforcement cooperation.
Additionally, they emphasized the need for concrete actions to address the climate crisis and welcomed further discussions during Senior Advisor to the President for International Climate Policy John Podesta's forthcoming visit to China.
Sullivan highlighted that the US will continue to take necessary measures to prevent advanced technologies from compromising national security while avoiding undue restrictions on trade or investment.
He also voiced ongoing concerns about China's trade policies and non-market economic practices and reiterated the US priority of resolving cases involving American citizens who are wrongfully detained or subject to exit bans in China. He stressed the US commitment to universal human rights and fundamental freedoms.
Sullivan's visit marked the fifth strategic dialogue between the US National Security Advisor and Wang since May 2023 and the first visit by a US National Security Advisor to China in eight years.
He emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and expressed concerns about Chinese support for Russia's defense sector and its impact on European and transatlantic security.
Sullivan reaffirmed the US commitment to defending Indo-Pacific allies and voiced concern about Chinese actions undermining lawful Philippine maritime operations in the South China Sea.
The discussions also covered shared concerns about North Korea, Myanmar, and West Asia.
On August 29, Sullivan met with General Zhang Youxia, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission in Beijing. They underscored the responsibility of both nations to prevent competition from escalating into conflict and emphasized the importance of regular military-to-military communications as directed by the leaders at the November 2023 Woodside Summit.
Both Sullivan and Zhang acknowledged the progress made in military communications over the past ten months and planned a theatre commander telephone call soon. Sullivan also highlighted the need for cross-Strait peace, freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, avoiding miscalculation in cyberspace, and ongoing efforts for a ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza.