Title: White House and Chinese Officials Hold Secret Talks to Stabilize US-China Relations
Date: [Insert Date]
In an effort to stabilize relations between the United States and China, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan engaged in a discreet meeting with Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi in Malta over the weekend. The unannounced talks come ahead of a possible meeting between US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping scheduled for November.
The meeting between Sullivan and Wang marked the latest attempt to revive high-level diplomacy that had been disrupted following a suspected Chinese spy balloon incident. In this incident, a Chinese spy balloon was shot down by the US after flying over North America. The previous secret meeting between the two officials took place in Vienna four months ago.
The White House released a statement emphasizing that the talks were aimed at maintaining open lines of communication and responsibly managing the US-China relationship. The discussions covered various topics, including key issues in the bilateral relationship, global and regional security matters, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, as well as cross-strait issues involving Taiwan.
Both the White House and Chinese foreign ministry issued separate statements affirming that the discussions were candid, substantive, and constructive.
The talks hold significance as speculation continues to mount regarding a potential meeting between Biden and Xi at the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco in November. Notably, the two leaders met face-to-face last November at the G20 summit held in Bali, Indonesia.
While a US official declined to comment on the likelihood of a summit this year, she described the talks in Malta as constructive. She further mentioned Biden’s expressed hope of meeting Xi in the near future.
Observers keenly await Xi’s decision on attending the APEC summit, particularly in light of his recent absence from the G20 summit in India. During a recent summit in South Africa, Xi unexpectedly refrained from delivering a planned speech, fueling speculation about a potential domestic crisis.
The Malta meeting took place amidst upheaval in the upper echelons of China’s government. Wang currently serves as both China’s high-ranking foreign policy official and foreign minister, following the unexplained removal of Qin Gang from the position in July. Additionally, Chinese defense minister Li Shangfu has disappeared from public view, with US officials indicating that Li is being investigated for corruption and has been removed.
The US official stated that Wang did not provide an explanation for the removal of Qin or the disappearance of Li, and Sullivan did not broach the subject during the discussions.
China has yet to clarify the reasons behind Qin’s removal and Li’s disappearance. This development follows Xi’s dismissal of two generals in charge of the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force, the command overseeing China’s nuclear weapons and long-range missiles.
Apart from political and security developments in the Asia-Pacific, maritime issues, and policy planning, the talks also covered the sensitive topic of arms control. Notably, Beijing had previously been hesitant to engage in bilateral discussions on arms control.
The US official revealed that China has recently shown “limited indications” of interest in reestablishing some of the military-to-military communication channels that were shut down after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan last year.
China stressed that Taiwan remains a “red line” and should not be crossed. Sullivan raised concerns about Chinese military activities, including flights across the median line in the Taiwan Strait, which previously acted as a buffer zone.
According to reports, the two sides are set to create new communication channels to address Asia-Pacific and maritime issues following a visit to Washington by Yang Tao, a high-ranking Chinese official.
Furthermore, Wang is expected to travel to Washington next month, signaling the highest-level visit by a Chinese official to the US capital since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
As the geopolitical landscape undergoes persistent transformations, the outcome of these talks and the potential Biden-Xi summit will undoubtedly influence the future trajectory of US-China relations and global dynamics.