U.S. and China Agree to Work Toward Anticipated Biden-Xi Summit, Reports Reuters

By Humeyra Pamuk and Michael Martina

WASHINGTON – U.S. and Chinese officials have agreed to collaborate on preparations for a potential summit between Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping next month. This development follows extensive discussions between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and senior U.S. diplomats in Washington.

Wang Yi’s visit marks the first time a Chinese foreign minister has come to Washington since 2018. He held an hour-long meeting with President Biden, which the White House described as a valuable opportunity to maintain communication between the two nations, despite significant policy disagreements.

Over the course of two days, Wang met with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan for a total of nine hours, with U.S. officials calling the discussions “candid and in-depth.” Key topics raised by U.S. officials included the importance of restoring military communication channels, concerns regarding Beijing’s actions in the East and South China Seas, issues surrounding Taiwan, human rights matters, the flow of fentanyl precursors, and the detainment of American citizens in China.

Blinken and Wang also engaged in direct conversations about the escalating conflict in the Middle East.

A significant outcome of the discussions is the positive momentum towards a meeting between Biden and Xi during the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco next month. “We are making preparations for such a meeting,” commented a senior administration official, who requested anonymity. The official noted that Chinese leaders typically confirm such engagements closer to the event.

Wang communicated to Biden that the purpose of his visit was to help “stem the decline” in U.S.-China relations while keeping an eye on the forthcoming summit, although he did not provide further details.

According to statements from the Chinese foreign ministry, both sides expressed a commitment to work together to facilitate a meeting between the two leaders in San Francisco. Wang highlighted China’s recognition of the U.S.’s desire to stabilize and improve bilateral relations.

The Biden administration views direct engagement with Xi as critical for managing tensions and avoiding conflict. “A primary goal of a potential meeting would be for the leaders to engage in discussions regarding strategic intentions,” the official remarked.

During his meetings, Wang emphasized the necessity of “in-depth” and “comprehensive” dialogue to address mutual disagreements and misunderstandings. “We need to resume dialogue, and it should be thorough and extensive,” Wang stated.

Wang’s three-day visit follows a series of diplomatic engagements aimed at addressing the deteriorating ties seen earlier this year, particularly after the U.S. downing of an alleged Chinese spy balloon.

However, there are concerns in Washington that the series of visits by U.S. officials to Beijing, including those by Blinken and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, may have inadvertently strengthened Beijing’s position. The meetings with Yellen and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo resulted in new economic and commercial working groups, sparking fears that U.S. focus on critical sanctions and competition measures against China might be diluted.

Despite these concerns, U.S. officials assert that increased diplomacy does not compromise their policy objectives.

The ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict has introduced new dynamics into U.S.-China relations, with Washington hoping that Beijing can leverage its influence over Iran to help prevent further escalation in the region. This issue was frequently discussed during Wang’s meetings, although it remains unclear if Washington successfully persuaded Beijing to play a more proactive role in mitigating the conflict.

“We expressed our serious concerns about the situation and urged China to adopt a more constructive stance, particularly in regard to its dealings with Iran,” noted another senior administration official.

Wang condemned violence against civilians amid the conflict and criticized Israel’s actions as “beyond the scope of self-defense,” although he refrained from explicitly naming Hamas in his statements.

Additionally, Blinken raised U.S. concerns regarding China’s activities in the South and East China Seas, specifically its “dangerous and unlawful obstruction” of the Philippine resupply mission to Second Thomas Shoal and its unsafe interceptions of U.S. aircraft.