Unannounced High-Level US, China Talks

By Staff, Agencies

US White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan had unannounced meetings with Wang Yi, the head of the Chinese Communist Party’s Foreign Affair Committee, in Vienna on Wednesday and Thursday.

In a brief statement, the White House described the meetings as “candid, substantive, and constructive discussions” on issues ranging from the Russia-Ukraine conflict to tensions in the Taiwan Strait.

Unnamed US official revealed that Sullivan told Wang that Washington is “looking to move beyond” the row sparked by the Chinese high-altitude balloon spotted over US territory last winter. The US claimed that the balloon was used for spying and dispatched a fighter jet to shoot it down in early February. Beijing said it was a weather-monitoring airship that had veered off course.

According to reports, both sides agreed this week that the balloon incident was “unfortunate” and wished to “reestablish standard, normal channels of communications.”

Bloomberg reported on Thursday that the White House had stepped up efforts to seek more meetings and calls with Chinese officials at different levels. They were reportedly also aiming for a phone call between US President Joe Biden and his counterpart, Xi Jinping. The leaders last met on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Indonesia in November.

The tensions between Washington and Beijing are currently centered on Taiwan and the greater Asia-Pacific, where both sides have accused each other of making escalatory moves.