Joe Biden “looks forward” to speaking with Xi Jinping in “coming weeks”

Joe Biden “looks forward” to having talks with Xi Jinping in the “coming weeks,” he said. US President Donald Trump's envoy Jake Sullivan spoke to the Chinese leader on Thursday, assuring him that Beijing's commitment to maintaining good relations with Washington had “not changed”.

Jake Sullivan is the first White House national security adviser to visit China since 2016. The three-day visit comes amid tensions between the country and key Asian allies – Japan, the Philippines and Taiwan – of the United States, which pledged support on Wednesday.

“President Biden looks forward to engaging with you again in the coming weeks,” Sullivan said Thursday in the Chinese capital during a meeting with Xi.

“President Biden is committed to managing this important relationship responsibly to ensure that competition (between China and the United States, editor's note) does not turn into conflict or confrontation and to working together where our interests align,” he added.

US Presidential envoy Jake Sullivan (L) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meet in Beijing on August 29, 2024 © POOL – Trevor Hunnicutt

The White House had announced that the two countries had begun preparing for a possible upcoming phone call between Biden and Xi.

Xi Jinping told Sullivan that despite “significant changes,” China's “commitment to stable, healthy and sustainable development” of relations with Washington had not changed, according to state television CCTV.

“We hope the United States will work with China to meet halfway,” he said.

– “Constructive” talks –

Sullivan told reporters at the U.S. Embassy that the talks with Chinese officials lasted a total of 14 hours, calling them “constructive, frank and substantive.”

US presidential envoy Jake Sullivan speaks at a news conference at the US embassy in Beijing on August 29, 2024 © AFP – ADEK BERRY

The war in Ukraine was discussed during the talks, but the US adviser stressed that the two sides had not reached “any specific plan.” “I can't say that we've made any progress on that issue,” he said.

The upcoming US election was not discussed, but Sullivan insisted that Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, wanted to maintain “open lines of communication” with China.

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Harris “shares President Biden's view that it is essential that we responsibly manage this competition so that it does not escalate into conflict or confrontation,” he said.

On Wednesday, Sullivan and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi discussed plans for talks between Biden and Xi in the coming weeks.

– Taiwan warning –

On Thursday, before his meeting with Xi, Sullivan had a rare one-on-one with Gen. Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, which focused on Taiwan.

According to a White House transcript of the meeting, Biden's envoy stressed the importance of “stability” in the Taiwan Strait that separates the island from mainland China.

U.S. Presidential envoy Jake Sullivan (L) and General Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, during a meeting in Beijing on August 29, 2024 © POOL – Ng Han Guan

General Zhang, in turn, warned that Taiwan's status was “the first red line that cannot be crossed in China-US relations.”

“China has always been determined to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait,” he said, according to a statement from China's Defense Ministry. But “Taiwan independence” is “incompatible” with “peace and stability” in the Strait, he warned.

“China demands that the United States end all military collusion with Taiwan, stop arming Taiwan, and stop spreading false news related to Taiwan,” Zhang Youxia said.

China, which considers Taiwan to be part of its territory, regularly accuses the United States, the main arms supplier to the island, of tacitly supporting the independence movement. Beijing does not rule out the military option of bringing Taiwan back into its fold one day.

– South China Sea –

M. Sullivan also noted the importance of “freedom of navigation” in the South China Sea, the scene of recurring incidents between Beijing and Manila.

The South China Sea © AFP – Valentin RAKOVSKY, Sophie RAMIS

The head of the Philippine army, General Romeo Brawner, assured in this regard the same day that the United States had offered to escort the Philippines' resupply missions to their outposts in this maritime area.

The day before, Beijing warned Washington against any support for Manila in the South China Sea

Japan, a signatory to a security treaty with the United States, deployed fighter jets on Monday after the unprecedented incursion of a Chinese military aircraft into its airspace.

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