US-EU High-Level Talks on 2-3 Days... Discussing China Response Strategy Including 'Taiwan Issue'

Wendy Sherman, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State
Photo by AFP Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] The United States and the European Union (EU) will hold a high-level meeting on the 2nd and 3rd to discuss strategies in response to China and the Indo-Pacific region.

According to the U.S. Department of State on the 1st (local time), Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and Stefano Sannino, Secretary-General of the European External Action Service (EEAS), will hold a bilateral dialogue focused on China on the 2nd. This is their second meeting following the one in May.

The two will conduct high-level consultations on Indo-Pacific issues on the 3rd and participate in a virtual discussion hosted by the Brookings Institution, a U.S. think tank.

The EEAS is the EU agency responsible for foreign policy.

A State Department official explained at a press briefing that the focus will be on areas where the U.S. and EU can cooperate regarding China policy, including economics, technology, human rights, multilateralism, and security. The official also stated, "We expect a stronger statement than the first meeting in May and a much broader and more specific range of topics to be covered."

The official added that the Taiwan issue, which has emerged as a core point of contention in U.S.-China conflicts, will also be discussed during this meeting.