The White House announced that U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping will speak by phone in the coming weeks in an effort to improve relations between the two superpowers. National security adviser Jake Sullivan held talks in Beijing with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, discussing various bilateral, regional, and global issues. Both sides agreed to maintain open lines of communication, with plans for a leader-level call and military theater commanders’ call. These discussions come amidst strained relations due to issues like tech and trade restrictions, Beijing’s alleged support for Russia’s war in Ukraine, tensions in the South China Sea, and the status of Taiwan.
Sullivan’s visit marked the highest-level public engagement the Biden administration has had with the Chinese military. The U.S. is seeking to responsibly manage competition with China while finding areas for cooperation such as climate change and drug trafficking. The meeting between Sullivan and Wang follows a series of backchannel meetings since last year, aiming to stabilize the important bilateral relationship. Both sides are working to prevent competition from turning into conflict while finding common ground on areas of mutual interest.
The leaders have had limited direct contact, with their last conversation in November lasting four hours in California. During that talk, they reached agreements on counternarcotics, military-to-military communications, and AI safety. Steps for implementing these agreements were discussed in Sullivan’s recent meeting. Both countries are planning a second round of talks on artificial intelligence, cooperation on climate change, and other areas such as repatriation of migrants. Overall, efforts are being made to manage tensions and find areas of cooperation between the U.S. and China.
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