Biden talks with Chinese foreign minister Wang
President prepares for potential meeting with China's Xi
WASHINGTON » President Joe Biden met Friday with China's top diplomat, a conversation that's viewed as the precursor to a potential sit-down with Chinese President Xi Jinping next month.
The encounter with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi was the latest in a series of high-level contacts between the two countries as they explore the possibility of stabilizing an increasingly tense relationship at a time of conflict in Ukraine and Israel.
The White House said Biden “emphasized that both the United States and China need to manage competition in the relationship responsibly and maintain open lines of communication,” and he “underscored that the United States and China must work together to address global challenges.”
Biden and Wang met in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken and national security adviser Jake Sullivan were also present, according to administration spokesman John Kirby.
Kirby said Biden viewed the meeting as “a positive development, and a good opportunity to keep the conversation going.”
Biden had been widely expected to talk with Wang, a reciprocal action after Xi met with Blinken in June.
Beijing has yet to confirm if Xi will travel to San Francisco for the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit next month. But Biden has said a meeting between the two leaders on the sidelines was possible.
Kirby said Biden “fully expects to meet again” with Xi, and “we're confident that's going to happen.”
Wang is in the midst of a three-day visit to Washington, where he's been meeting with top U.S. officials. He sat down with Blinken on Friday morning for the second time during his trip.
On Thursday, after their initial meeting, the Chinese side said “the two sides had an in-depth exchange of views on China-U.S. relations and issues of common concern in a constructive atmosphere.”
In its readout, the U.S. State Department said the two men addressed “areas of difference” and “areas of cooperation,” while Blinken “reiterated that the United States will continue to stand up for our interests and values and those of our allies and partners.”
Wang said before Thursday's meeting that China's goal was to “push the relationship as soon as possible back to the track of healthy, stable and sustainable development.”
U.S. officials have said they would press Wang on the importance of China stepping up its role on the world stage if it wants to be considered a responsible major international player. The U.S. has been disappointed with China over its support for Russia in the war against Ukraine and its relative silence on the war between Israel and Hamas.
“China should use whatever ability it has as an influential power to urge calm” in the Middle East, said State Department spokesman Matthew Miller.
“We know China has relationships with a number of countries in the region, and we would urge them to use those relationships, the lines of communication they have, to urge calm and stability.”
U.S. officials believe the Chinese have considerable leverage with Iran, which is a major backer of Hamas.
Wang has come to Washington at a time when tensions between the two countries remain high, including over U.S. export controls on advanced technology and China's more assertive actions in the East and South China seas.
Earlier this month, the Pentagon released footage of some of the more than 180 intercepts of U.S. warplanes by Chinese aircraft that occurred in the past two years, part of a trend U.S. military officials call concerning.