President Joe Biden to Meet with China’s Top Diplomat Wang Yi at the White House
WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden is scheduled to hold discussions with China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, during his visit to the White House this week, according to sources familiar with the planning for the visit. The meeting is expected to take place on Friday, following Wang’s meeting with Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan.
Although the extent of their interaction is unknown, even a casual greeting would mark the highest-level contact between the Biden administration and the Chinese government since the president’s brief encounter with Premier Li Qiang at the G20 summit last year.
The meeting comes as U.S. and Chinese officials prepare for a much-anticipated one-on-one meeting between Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco in November. The last meeting between Xi and Biden took place in Bali last November.
In addition to his visit to the White House, Wang is also scheduled to meet with Secretary of State Antony Blinken during his trip to Washington. Several high-ranking U.S. officials, including Blinken, previously met with their Chinese counterparts in Beijing earlier this year.
Wang, who serves as the top foreign affairs official in the Chinese Communist Party and also as the foreign minister, took over the position following the dismissal of Qin Gang in July.
During a press conference on Wednesday, President Biden emphasized his plans to “compete” with China based on international rules, both economically and politically, but emphasized he was not seeking conflict. He also warned Chinese officials against aggression towards the Philippines.
In response, President Xi stated on Wednesday that China is willing to cooperate with the United States, manage their differences, and work together to address global challenges, according to Chinese state media.
The White House has declined to comment on the upcoming meeting between Biden and Wang.
Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by Heather Timmons and Lincoln Feast.
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