US President Joe Biden (right) and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands during a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Nusa Dua on the island of Bali, Indonesia, November 14, 2022 (AFP / SAUL LOEB)
Soon a conversation between Joe Biden and Xi Jinping? In any case, their close advisers have resumed contact after several weeks, or almost, of radio silence between China and the United States.
The US President’s National Security Adviser, Jake Sullivan, met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Vienna on Wednesday and Thursday, the White House said in a statement on Thursday.
The two senior officials had “frank, substantive and constructive talks,” the American executive said, while the official New China news agency spoke of an exchange aimed at “removing the obstacles” in Sino-US relations.
The interview signals some relaxation between the two superpowers, which have been at odds since the Chinese balloon affair in February and face stiff competition, be it diplomatic, military, technological or economic.
“This unfortunate incident has led to some pause in contacts,” a senior White House official modestly commented Thursday, indicating that Washington is eager to “restore normal channels of communication.”
In February, already high tensions between China and the United States were exacerbated by the overflight of a downed Chinese balloon over American territory.
Washington had denounced a spy operation, Beijing denied it.
“We don’t want anything like this to happen again,” said the senior US official, who asked not to be named, adding that the United States wanted “to move forward now.”
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during a meeting at Hungary’s Foreign Ministry in Budapest on February 20, 2023 (AFP / Attila KISBENEDEK)
Jake Sullivan and Wang Yi discussed both “Russia’s war against Ukraine” and cross-strait issues, the two most sensitive issues in bilateral relations, according to the White House.
Washington has repeatedly warned China against any military aid to Russia.
The United States is also concerned about Taiwan, a territory claimed by China, and is closely watching Beijing’s maneuvers in the region.
“Wang Yi has clearly expressed China’s solemn position on the Taiwan issue,” New China said.
– “Progress” –
The Austria meeting will reignite speculation about an upcoming meeting between Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
When asked about this, the American President said on Wednesday: “There is progress. It will work.”
The senior White House official did not provide any information about a possible timetable and did not give a date for a visit by the head of American diplomacy, Antony Blinken, to Beijing.
The latter had planned to go there in February but canceled at the last minute due to the Chinese ball affair.
Joe Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, at the White House in Washington, December 12, 2022 (AFP / Brendan SMIALOWSKI)
Joe Biden and Xi Jinping last spoke on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Indonesia in November 2022.
Joe Biden reiterates that he will not do China any favors in the competition between the two superpowers, but will do everything to ensure that the rivalry does not degenerate into a conflict.
The United States is trying to work with the Asian giant whenever possible, particularly in the fight against climate change and the synthetic opioid trade.
In an April 27 speech, Jake Sullivan outlined the main lines of America’s strategy on economic sovereignty and industrial ambitions, and made more specific mention of Beijing.
Borrowing a formula from the President of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, he assured that the USA is not concerned with complete “decoupling” (“decoupling”) from China, but rather with reducing the risks (“de-risking”). and diversify their supply chains.
“It takes two to responsibly manage our competition. It takes a level of strategic maturity to realize that we need to keep our lines of communication open even in the face of competition,” said Joe Biden’s top adviser on diplomacy and security.