US and China Senior Officials Hold Consecutive Meetings... Likely Discussing November Summit (Comprehensive)

Senior diplomatic officials from the United States and China met in Washington D.C., USA.

Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State, stated during a regular briefing on the 28th (local time) that Daniel Kritenbrink, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, and Sun Weidong, Vice Foreign Minister of China, met at the State Department the previous day.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Spokesperson Miller said, "Both sides had candid, in-depth, and constructive consultations on regional issues, including continued efforts to maintain communication channels," adding, "This is one of many follow-up consultations taking place since Secretary of State Tony Blinken's visit to Beijing in June."

This high-level U.S.-China meeting took place amid speculation about a possible bilateral summit between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit scheduled for November in San Francisco, suggesting that related discussions likely occurred.

The U.S. Department of State also noted in a statement that issues concerning North Korea and Taiwan were mentioned. The Department said, "The Assistant Secretary discussed the U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy and emphasized the importance of maintaining a free, open, resilient, and secure Indo-Pacific region and a rules-based international order." It added, "Both sides also discussed regional issues such as Burma (Myanmar), North Korea, and maritime matters," and "The Assistant Secretary reaffirmed the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait."

The State Department explained that this meeting follows a series of high-level contacts, with both sides reiterating the importance of maintaining open communication channels not only in areas of cooperation but also in areas where differences exist.

Earlier, on the 16th and 17th, Jake Sullivan, U.S. National Security Advisor, met with Wang Yi, Chinese Foreign Minister (also Director of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission Office of the Communist Party), in Malta in the Mediterranean. Additionally, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that Wang Yi and He Lifeng, China's Vice Premier who plays a key role in economic affairs, are also discussing a future visit to the United States.

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