U.S. envoy Sullivan to meet China’s top diplomat amid high tensions

U.S. President Joe Biden’s national security adviser, will hold talks with China’s top diplomat Yang Jiechi in Switzerland this week.

The meeting, in Zurich, will come at a time of heightened tensions between the world’s two largest economies over a broad range of issues, including Taiwan.

The White House said in a statement on Tuesday, upholding a pledge by both countries’ leaders for officials to boost communication.

“They will follow up on President Biden’s September 9 call with President Xi as we continue to seek to responsibly manage the competition between the United States and the People’s Republic of China.

“It will be Sullivan’s first face-to-face meeting with Yang since acrimonious exchanges between the two in Alaska in March, which also involved U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.”

Blinken, currently on a visit to Paris, held a call with Yang in June and stressed the need for cooperation and transparency over the origins of COVID-19 and raised other contentious topics, including China’s treatment of Uyghur Muslims, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

The White House said, Sullivan would also visit Brussels for meetings with NATO and European Union officials, as well as Paris, and would brief European allies and partners on his meeting with Yang.

It also said that, he will discuss with NATO counterparts the implementation of a decision at the June NATO summit to modernize the alliance and address strategic challenges.

He will be joined by U.S. Deputy National Security Advisor Daleep Singh in meetings with the EU on trade, technology and global economic issues.

Kamila/Reuters