The White House announced plans for U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping to speak by phone in the coming weeks to improve relations between the two superpowers. National security adviser Jake Sullivan recently held talks in Beijing with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, discussing a range of bilateral, regional, and global issues. Both sides have welcomed ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communication and are planning a leader-level call, as well as a call between their respective military theater commanders.
The Biden administration has been seeking to responsibly manage competition with China while finding areas for cooperation, such as climate change. Relations between the U.S. and China have been strained by issues like tech and trade restrictions, Beijing’s support for Russia’s war in Ukraine, tension in the South China Sea, and the status of Taiwan. Despite these challenges, Sullivan and Wang have been working to stabilize the relationship through backchannel meetings since last year.
Biden and Xi have had limited direct contact, with their last phone call in November during a summit of Asia-Pacific leaders. The leaders reached agreements on counternarcotics, military communications, and artificial intelligence during this call. The recent talks between Sullivan and Wang focused on implementing these agreements, as well as planning for future discussions on artificial intelligence, climate change, and repatriation of migrants. John Podesta is scheduled to visit China as the new U.S. climate envoy, signaling a commitment to cooperation on environmental issues between the two countries.
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