The visit comes amid the Israel-Hamas war and escalating tensions in the disputed South China Sea.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will travel to the United States later this week to restore strained ties between the two countries amid mounting geopolitical crises.
Wang will visit Washington from Oct. 26 to 28 and meet U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and President Joe Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan, officials said, after Blinken and other top officials traveled to Beijing in June.
The US wants to ensure that disagreements between Washington and Beijing do not escalate into conflict and that they can work together on issues of mutual interest. Other US politicians have traveled to China since Blinken’s visit, with California Governor Gavin Newsom currently in the country to discuss climate change.
“We continue to believe that direct, face-to-face diplomacy is the best way to address difficult issues, resolve misunderstandings and miscommunication, and explore cooperation with the Chinese where our interests overlap,” an official told reporters at the Condition of anonymity informed the Portal news agency.
The meetings are likely to cover a range of topics, including the Israel-Hamas conflict, the Ukraine war and escalating tensions in the South China Sea, senior administration officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press .
Washington is sending military aid to Israel and Ukraine, while Beijing has grown closer to Russia since the Ukraine war began in February 2022 and has called for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
A second official said the U.S. would “urge the Chinese to take a more constructive approach in both cases.”
Hopes for Xi-Biden meeting
Wang held telephone conversations with the foreign ministers of Israel and the Palestinian Authority on Monday and expressed sadness over the suffering of civilians as a result of the conflict. He reiterated China’s calls for a ceasefire and support for a two-state solution.
Washington has placed great emphasis on China’s ability to influence Iran.
During his turbulent trip to the Middle East last week, Blinken had a phone call with Wang and asked him to use Beijing’s influence in the region to ensure the conflict does not spread.
Wang’s trip comes about three weeks before the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco, where President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to meet.
U.S. officials did not confirm the leaders’ meeting or say whether Wang’s visit would serve as preparation for such a meeting. Instead, Wang’s trip was described as a quid pro quo for Blinken’s visit to Beijing.
Beijing has yet to confirm whether Xi will travel to San Francisco for the annual APEC summit.
U.S.-China relations have been deteriorating since 2018 over issues such as trade, the situation in the northwestern Xinjiang region, the militarization of the South China Sea, increasing pressure on the self-governing island of Taiwan and the origins of COVID-19.
Biden and Xi last met in November 2022 on the sidelines of the Group of 20 meeting in Indonesia. At that time, they agreed to resume discussions, set up working groups on specific topics and expand personal exchange.
US officials said territorial disputes in the South and East China Seas were also likely on the agenda, saying Washington was deeply concerned about China’s “destabilizing and dangerous actions” in the South China Sea.
The Philippines, a key U.S. ally, this week accused Chinese coast guard ships of “deliberately” colliding with its vessels during a resupply mission at Second Thomas Shoal, marking the worst incident this year. Beijing claims the shoal as its territory, even though it lies within Manila’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
Restoring military ties with China also remains a key U.S. concern, the officials said, adding that this means sustained communication between the ranks.
Defense Minister Li Shangfu, who has not been seen in public for nearly two months amid a corruption investigation, had rejected U.S. calls for a meeting. He was subject to US sanctions in 2018 because of Russian arms purchases.