White House lays groundwork for closer relationship with China

REX TILLERSON, the US secretary of state, brushed aside months of tension between Beijing and Washington yesterday by speaking of “greater understanding” between the two countries, hours after North Korea celebrated a “new birth” in its rocket industry. Mr Tillerson said Donald Trump, the US president, was looking forward to meeting China’s leader, Xi Jinping.

Mr Trump places a “very high value on the communications” that he has already had with Mr Xi, Tillerson said.

“And he looks forward to enhancing that understanding in the opportunity for a visit in the future,” he added. Wang Yi, the Chinese foreign minister, also said that Beijing and Washington had begun laying the groundwork for a meeting expected to take place in April at Mr Trump’s Florida resort.

Mr Trump angered China’s Communist leaders by accepting a congratulatory call from the president of Taiwan in December. He also caused concern with abrasive tweets over Taiwan, North Korea, trade and Beijing’s increasing military assertiveness in the South China Sea.

But tensions were eased last month when Mr Trump reaffirmed the US government’s commitment to the One China policy (a recognition that there is only one Chinese government) in a phone call with Mr Xi, the first since he took office.

Following visits to Japan and South Korea, Mr Tillerson arrived in Beijing on Saturday amid heightened anxiety as concern continues to grow over North Korea’s military ambitions.

Pyongyang further provoked the US and China – its key trading partner and only diplomatic ally – by carrying out a rocket engine test hours before Mr Tillerson met Mr Xi yesterday.

Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader, said the successful test was “a new birth” of its rocket industry, according to state media.