China and US ‘step in the right direction’ with top-level talks in Thailand
- US national security adviser Jake Sullivan and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi tackle Taiwan and the Middle East in discussions in Bangkok
- Meeting yields agreement for presidents of the two countries to hold a phone call ‘in the coming months’
Following the talks between China’s top diplomat Wang Yi and US national security adviser Jake Sullivan, which Beijing described as “candid, substantive and fruitful strategic communication” on handling “important and sensitive issues” in bilateral ties, the US confirmed plans for an upcoming call between the two countries’ top leaders.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and his American counterpart Joe Biden will hold a phone call “this spring... in the coming months” to discuss key areas of the bilateral ties, a senior Biden administration official told reporters on Saturday, reiterating that competition remains and the US “approach” on Beijing was unchanged.
During the meeting, which spanned 12 hours over two days, Sullivan stressed that the two sides did not seek “conflict or confrontation” and there were areas of cooperation, the US official added.
The most senior dialogue between the two countries since the Xi-Biden summit in San Fransisco in November, will help further stabilise fragile ties, analysts said, as the rival powers explore opportunities to cooperate on hotspot issues from North Korea to the Middle East.