(Washington) Joe Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, met with the head of Chinese diplomacy, Wang Yi, on Saturday and Sunday in Malta in a context which nevertheless remains tense between the two great powers.
“The two sides had frank, substantive and constructive discussions,” the White House said in a statement.
“Wang Yi stressed that the question of Taiwan was the first red line not to be crossed in Sino-American relations,” assured Beijing for its part.
PHOTO TATAN SYUFLANA, ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi
The United States and China have renewed dialogue in recent months with a succession of visits by senior American officials to Beijing, including the head of diplomacy Antony Blinken.
In February, tensions between China and the United States rose a notch with the flight over American territory by Chinese balloons, a espionage operation according to Washington.
Bilateral relations still remain tense, with trade disputes, Chinese expansion in the South China Sea and the issue of the self-governing democratic island of Taiwan remaining stumbling blocks.
“Both parties are committed to maintaining this strategic communication channel and continuing high-level consultations in key sectors,” said the American executive.
The meeting between the two delegations was also confirmed by the Maltese authorities.