A top Chinese diplomat will visit Washington ahead of a possible meeting between Biden and Xi
FILE - Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi speaks during a news conference in Beijing, Oct. 18, 2023. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will come to Washington for a three-day visit starting Thursday. It's the latest move by the two countries to keep high-level talks open as the U.S. contends with China's rise as a global power.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, center, arrives at an opening ceremony of the diplomatic symposium at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi attends a meeting prior to an opening ceremony of a diplomatic symposium at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi speaks during an opening ceremony of diplomatic symposium at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi speaks during a press conference for the Third Belt and Road Forum at the China National Convention Center in Beijing, Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023.
Washington (AP) 鈥� China鈥檚 top diplomat will come to the United States on Thursday for a three-day visit, the latest move by Washington and Beijing to keep high-level talks open amid tense bilateral relations.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is scheduled to meet with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and national security adviser Jake Sullivan over a range of issues, including the Israel-Hamas conflict, the Ukraine war and a recent vessel collision in the South China Sea, according to senior administration officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to preview the trip.
Wang鈥檚 trip to Washington will come just about three weeks ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco, where it鈥檚 possible that President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet. The officials did not confirm the leaders鈥� meeting, nor did they say if Wang鈥檚 visit would prepare for such a meeting. Instead, Wang鈥檚 trip was described as reciprocal to Blinken鈥檚 visit to Beijing in June.
Beijing has yet to confirm if Xi will travel to San Francisco for the annual APEC summit.
Wang plans to make clear China鈥檚 鈥減osition and principles on the relationship with the U.S. and our legitimate concerns,鈥� Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a daily briefing on Tuesday.
China hopes to 鈥渏ointly push the bilateral relationship back to the track of sound and stable development,鈥� Mao said, reflecting a more upbeat tone than the one heard from Beijing in recent weeks.
U.S.-China relations have deteriorated rapidly since 2018 over issues such as trade imbalance, human rights in the northwestern region of Xinjiang, the militarization of the South China Sea, the rising pressure on the self-governed island of Taiwan and the pandemic. Last November, Biden and Xi met in Bali, Indonesia, on the sidelines of the Group of 20 meeting of leading rich and developing nations. The two sides agreed to resume talks, set up work groups on specific issues and expand person-to-person exchanges.
The relationship had barely warmed up when Washington accused Beijing of flying a spy balloon over the U.S. territory in February, drawing stern protests from Beijing and plunging bilateral relations to another low.
Blinken traveled to Beijing in June, when bilateral relations began to improve. Earlier this month, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer led a delegation of six senators to China, in the first visit by U.S. lawmakers since 2019. This week, California Governor Gavin Newsom is in China to discuss climate change.
When Wang arrives in Washington, American officials will push China to be more constructive in the Middle East, the senior administration officials said. Earlier this month, Blinken discussed with Wang the the importance of maintaining stability in the region and discouraging other parties from entering the conflict, according to the State Department.
The weekend collisions between Philippine and Chinese vessels off Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea also will be brought up in meetings with Wang, the U.S. officials said. Washington has responded by affirming its support for Manila and criticizing Beijing for its 鈥渄angerous and unlawful actions.鈥�
China, however, claimed the shoal to be part of its territory and accused the Philippines of 鈥渟everely violating China鈥檚 territorial sovereignty鈥� by marooning a navy ship there. It vowed to take 鈥渘ecessary measures鈥� to defend China鈥檚 sovereignty and maritime interests.
As America contends with China鈥檚 rise as a global power, Biden has called for 鈥済uardrails鈥� to manage bilateral relations, but China has rejected them. Instead, it has demanded a 鈥渄ifferent kind of great power relationship鈥� by which the U.S. must respect China鈥檚 core interests.
While Wang鈥檚 visit won鈥檛 solve any differences, it鈥檚 part of the U.S. diplomatic effort toward open communications to minimize risks, the American officials said.