China "Exchange of Opinions on Major International and Regional Issues"
Jake Sullivan, the White House National Security Advisor and President Joe Biden's 'diplomatic strategist,' arrived in Beijing on the 27th and met with Wang Yi, Director of the Central Foreign Affairs Office of the Chinese Communist Party (also serving as Foreign Minister).
According to major Chinese media, Director Wang told Advisor Sullivan, "We want substantive and constructive dialogue," and expressed hope that both sides could help steer China-US relations toward the San Francisco Vision. The 'San Francisco Vision' refers to the blueprint for the development of bilateral relations agreed upon by US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping at their summit in San Francisco last November.
In response, Advisor Sullivan added, "We will have in-depth discussions on a variety of issues, including those where we agree and those where differences remain that need to be managed effectively and substantively."
Earlier, the US government announced Sullivan's visit to China, stating that he would meet with Director Wang, China's top diplomat, to discuss bilateral relations, cooperation on drug control, military-to-military communications, AI risks, and exchange views on global issues such as North Korea, the Middle East, Myanmar, and the Taiwan Strait.
It was also reported that Advisor Sullivan would raise concerns regarding China's support for Russia's military industry and the escalating territorial disputes in the South China Sea involving China and Southeast Asian countries.
On the 25th, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, "Director Wang will have in-depth exchanges of views with Advisor Sullivan on China-US relations, sensitive issues, and major international and regional contentious matters," and plans to express China's firm stance on the Taiwan issue, high tariffs, and sanctions disputes. Additionally, it was noted that China would voice its position on issues where the US and China have shown significant disagreements, such as conflicts in the South China Sea and the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.
This is the first visit to China by a US presidential national security advisor in eight years, and Sullivan's first time visiting China. The face-to-face contact between the two leading figures in US and Chinese foreign policy comes seven months after their meeting in Bangkok, Thailand, at the end of January. The dispatch of President Biden's top diplomatic strategist to China about 70 days before the November election is interpreted as a move to check China's potential interference in the US election and to manage tensions with China so that conflicts do not escalate significantly ahead of the election.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
