US President Joe Biden’s national security adviser will travel to China next week. Jake Sullivan will hold political talks in Beijing from Tuesday to Thursday, the White House announced on Friday. A good two and a half months before the presidential election, Sullivan is likely to try to reduce tensions between the two countries.
If the US Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris wins the election, she is expected to continue to seek dialogue with China while maintaining pressure. Her rival Donald Trump is in favor of a tougher stance toward Beijing.
A high-ranking US government official stressed on Friday that Washington has no intention of softening its current line. The relationship with China continues to be characterized by “intense competition.” “However, we are determined to conduct this competition responsibly and prevent it from escalating into conflict,” she added.
Sullivan will meet with Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing, she said, and reiterate US concerns about China’s support for Russia’s arms industry since the invasion of Ukraine. Other topics will include the situation in North Korea and the Middle East, as well as the “military, diplomatic and economic” pressure exerted by China on Taiwan, the US government official added.
China views Taiwan as a breakaway province that should be reunited with the mainland – by military force if necessary. In recent years, Beijing has increased pressure on Taiwan and held large-scale military maneuvers with fighter jets, warships and drones around the island.
