'Extreme Confrontation' Sullivan and Yang Jiechi Hold Talks After 7 Months

Today, US-China High-Level Talks in Switzerland
Xi Jinping Absent from G20 Summit
Focus on Biden-Xi Virtual Summit Possibility

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York = Correspondents Baek Jong-min and Kim Su-hwan] The United States and China are holding a high-level meeting in Switzerland today. Attention is focused on whether the diplomatic approach between the two sides, unfolding after a phone call between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping, will lead to a summit meeting.

On the 5th (local time), the White House announced that Jake Sullivan, White House National Security Council (NSC) Advisor, and Yang Jiechi, Chinese Politburo member in charge of foreign affairs, will meet this week in Zurich, Switzerland.

The White House explained that the purpose of the meeting is to follow up on the phone call between President Biden and President Xi on the 9th of last month. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs also stated that "the two will exchange views on bilateral relations and related issues." Although the White House did not disclose the specific meeting schedule, the media reported that the two will meet on the 6th.

This is the second meeting between Advisor Sullivan and Politburo member Yang. In March, Advisor Sullivan, along with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, met Politburo member Yang and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Alaska, where they engaged in intense debates.

Although conflicts between the two countries over Taiwan are expected in this meeting as well, there is analysis that discussions about a U.S.-China summit are highly likely.

President Biden denied reports that President Xi refused an in-person summit, but it is highly likely that their meeting will be held virtually rather than face-to-face. Bloomberg News reported that President Xi has decided not to attend the Group of Twenty (G20) summit held in Italy at the end of this month, which fuels such expectations.

After the phone call between President Biden and President Xi, the U.S. and China have maintained a strong stance while seeking dialogue.

One day earlier, Katherine Tai, U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), publicly announced the U.S. trade policy toward China, emphasizing the need to comply with the U.S.-China Phase One trade agreement and expressing willingness to engage in dialogue, highlighting the importance of communication.

Experts welcomed the increasing frequency of meetings between the U.S. and China despite ongoing conflicts. There are also opinions that if contacts expand, the consulates general in Houston and Chengdu, which have been mutually closed, could reopen.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.