White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan arrived in Beijing for talks related to US-China relations, which have been severely tested during the tenure of US President Joe Biden. , reported the Associated Press, quoted by BTA.
Sullivan often spoke with high-ranking Communist Party officials on foreign policy issues so that differences between Washington and Beijing could be bridged.
After landing in Beijing, Sullivan was greeted by Yang Tao, head of the Chinese Foreign Ministry's division in charge of North America and Oceania, as well as US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns.
The purpose of the visit by Sullivan, who will be in China until Thursday, is to try to maintain communication between Beijing and Washington.
No major announcements are expected, although Sullivan's meetings could lay the groundwork for a possible meeting between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Joe Biden before the US president leaves office in January, AP notes.
Sullivan will hold talks with Wang Yi, who is both foreign minister and head of the Communist Party's Central Committee on International Affairs.
Joe Biden's administration has taken a tough stance on China, viewing it as a strategic competitor and limiting its companies' access to advanced technology, AP notes. In this way, the US has countered the rise of China, which is trying to exert influence over Taiwan and the South China Sea.
Already chilled relations between China and the US were "deep frozen" after the then-Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in August 2022. Hopes of restoring ties were dashed the following February when a suspected Chinese spy balloon was spotted over the United States and shot down by the US military.
At a meeting between Sullivan and Vann in Vienna in May 2023, the two sides began a process of restoring relations. Since then, they have met twice more in third countries - Malta and Thailand. This week they will hold their first talks in Beijing.
China's foreign ministry said this week that relations with the US remain at a "critical stage". The ministry noted that the two countries are talking about climate-related issues and other topics, but accused the US of continuing to restrict and suppress China.