By Trevor Hunnicutt
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President is set to engage in a conversation with Wang Yi, China’s top diplomat, during his visit to the White House this week. This information is based on insights from two knowledgeable U.S. officials involved in the visit planning.
Wang will be meeting with Jake Sullivan, Biden’s national security adviser, at the White House on Friday. It is possible that he may have an opportunity to meet President Biden in person during that time, as noted by one of the sources.
The White House has chosen not to provide any comments on this matter at the moment.
The extent of their interaction remains uncertain. However, it should be highlighted that even a casual meeting would mark Biden’s most significant encounter with the Chinese government since his brief encounter with Premier Li Qiang, China’s number two under President Xi Jinping, at the G20 summit in New Delhi.
This development comes as U.S. and Chinese officials are working towards arranging a long-awaited one-on-one meeting between President Biden and President Xi at the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco, scheduled for November. The two leaders last met at a summit in Bali last November.
In addition to his visit with President Biden, Wang is also scheduled to hold a meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken during his trip to Washington from Thursday to Saturday. Several high-ranking U.S. officials, including Blinken, met their Chinese counterparts in Beijing earlier this summer.
As the top official for foreign affairs in the Chinese Communist Party and the country’s foreign minister since the dismissal of Qin Gang in July, Wang holds a significant position.
During a press conference on Wednesday, President Biden expressed his intention to “compete” with China “in accordance with international rules – economically, politically, and in other ways – but without seeking conflict.” Furthermore, he cautioned Chinese officials against displaying aggression towards the Philippines.
Xi, on the other hand, stated on Wednesday, according to Chinese state media, that China is willing to cooperate with the United States as both nations manage their differences and collaborate to address global challenges.
(Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by Heather Timmons and Lincoln Feast.)
