Top Chinese defense official Zhang Youxia meets with US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan to improve communication and prevent confrontation over concerns plaguing their relationship.
In an effort to keep tensions over Taiwan and the South China Sea from escalating into hostilities, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan met with a senior Chinese defense official.
The meeting took place on Thursday, just one day after the White House announced that US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping will be speaking over the phone in the upcoming weeks.
In his opening remarks, Zhang Youxia, the deputy chairman of the Central Military Commission, said Sullivan, “Your request to meet with me shows the value you attach to military security and the relationship between our militaries.”
“It is rare that we have the opportunity to have this kind of exchange,” Sullivan said, emphasizing “the need for us to manage the US-China relationship responsibly.”
On the last day of a three-day visit to China, which is his first as national security advisor, Sullivan is trying to maintain open lines of communication at the highest level and stabilize bilateral relations in order to prevent hostilities.
The last 1.5 days had been primarily devoted to his discussions with Wang Yi, the top foreign policy official of the ruling Communist Party and minister of foreign affairs.
Both parties will maintain open channels of contact, the White House said in a statement, adding that they were organizing a “leader-level call” for the upcoming weeks. Before Biden leaves the Oval Office, there was no word on whether the two leaders would have a face-to-face meeting.
Sullivan and Wang argue over Taiwan
In an attempt to patch things up, Sullivan—making the first trip of this kind for someone in his position since 2016—previously met Chinese top diplomat Wang Yi in Beijing.
However, during their discussion, Wang reportedly advised Washington not to back the Philippines in the South China Sea, according to official media.
Wang warned Sullivan, “The United States must not use bilateral treaties as an excuse to undermine China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, nor should it support or condone the Philippines’ actions of infringement,” as reported by state broadcaster CCTV.
Sullivan reiterated Washington’s promises to stand up for its neighbors.
In a readout of their discussion, the White House stated that “Mr. Sullivan reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to defending its Indo-Pacific allies.”
The People’s Republic of China, or PRC, was mentioned by acronym as the entity that Sullivan “expressed concern about the PRC’s destabilizing actions against lawful Philippine maritime operations in the South China Sea.”
Wang emphasized to Sullivan, according to CCTV, that “China is firmly committed to safeguarding its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights over the South China Sea islands”.
Tokyo, meanwhile, charged Beijing with breaching its airspace on Monday following a surveillance plane’s two-minute visit near the Danjo Islands in the East China Sea.
It denounced Beijing for becoming “increasingly active” and stated that the first verified trespass into its airspace by a Chinese military aircraft constituted a “serious violation” of its sovereignty.
Over the past year and a half, Sullivan and Wang have met five times: in Washington, Vienna, Malta, Bangkok, and at a summit in California in November 2023 with Biden and Xi.
The sensitive subject of Taiwan was also discussed by the US and Chinese leaders.
Wang emphasized that China will “certainly be unified” and that Taiwan belongs to Beijing.
According to CCTV, he advised Sullivan that the US “put into practice its commitment not to support Taiwan independence” and cease equipping Taiwan.
Sullivan, according to the White House, “underscored the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.”
According to both sides, US and Chinese officials also spoke about matters pertaining to the Korean Peninsula, the Middle East, and Ukraine.
According to the White House, Sullivan “emphasised concerns” on China’s backing of Russia’s defense sector during Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
In response, Wang stated that China was dedicated to “working towards a political solution to the Ukraine crisis” and cautioned the United States against enacting “illegal unilateral sanctions.”
