China and the US to Maintain Strategic Communication

This is Sullivan’s first visit to China in his term, which according to Director General Yang Tao of the Department of North American and Oceanian Affairs of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was “an important step taken by the two sides to implement the common understandings of the two presidents.” 　

Yang revealed at a briefing meeting following Sullivan’s visit that Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Sullivan on the afternoon of August 29, during which Xi stressed that the No.1 issue for China and the US is to develop a right strategic perception, and that both countries need to first and foremost find a good answer to the overarching question: Are China and the US rivals or partners? Xi told Sullivan that China is focused on managing its own affairs well and follows a path of peaceful development, adding that in a changing and turbulent world, countries need solidarity and coordination, not division or confrontation, and that people want openness and progress, not exclusion or regress. 　

During the two-day visit, Sullivan had six sessions of strategic communication with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, totaling more than 11 hours. The two sides discussed China-US relations, sensitive issues and major hotspots. 　

Wang summed up the experience and lessons of China-US relations as “five keys”: keeping China-US relations in the right direction lies in the guidance and stewardship of the two presidents, avoiding conflict and confrontation between China and the US lies in abiding by the three joint communiques, smooth interactions between China and the US lies in treating each other as equals, a steady and sustained China-US relationship lies in cementing the popular foundation, and peaceful coexistence between China and the US lies in developing a right perception. 　

Wang stressed that Taiwan, democracy and human rights, China’s political system and development path, and its right to development are the four red lines China has drawn in China-US relations. 　

This is the fourth round of strategic communication between Wang and Sullivan, held in the Yanqi Lake area in northern Beijing. The first three rounds were held in Vienna, Malta and Bangkok. Director General Yang said that as the communication has come closer and closer to Beijing, the communication has become more and more in-depth. 　

Yang noted that in the past four years, Chinese and American presidents have steered the course and provided the anchor for the bilateral relationship, revealing that in the latest strategic communication, the two sides discussed having a new round of interaction between the two presidents in the near term. Yang described the communication as being “candid, substantive and constructive.” 　

The White House used exactly the same words to describe the latest communication between Wang and Sullivan, saying it was part of ongoing efforts to maintain channels of communication and responsibly manage the relationship between the two countries. 　

According to the White House, the two sides discussed progress and the next steps on the implementation of the Woodside Summit commitments, including counter-narcotics, military-to-military communications and AI safety and risk, as well as the next steps to reduce the flow of illicit synthetic drugs, continue repatriation of undocumented migrants, and law enforcement cooperation. They also underscored the importance of concrete steps to tackle the climate crisis. 

Both sides have expressed in their briefings the intention to continue mutual strategic communication. On September 7, the China-US commercial and trade working group established by both countries last August held the second vice minister-level meeting in Tianjin after its first meeting in the US in April.