The White House announced on Sunday (August 25th) that National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan will be traveling to Canada to meet with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to strengthen the security relationship between the United States and Canada.
In a statement, the National Security Council (NSC) spokesperson Sean Savett mentioned that Sullivan will meet with Trudeau and deliver remarks at the Canadian annual cabinet retreat to discuss national security priorities, including continuing to support Ukraine, addressing the climate crisis, and “advancing democracy and human rights around the world.”
Starting from Sunday, Canada will host a three-day cabinet retreat in Halifax, the capital of Nova Scotia. The meeting will focus on strengthening the middle class, economic development, providing fair services for each generation, and enhancing the relationship between Canada and the United States.
The Canadian Prime Minister’s Office stated that Sullivan will participate in the Sunday evening cabinet retreat. Officials noted that the U.S. and Canada are among the closest allies in the world, with high bilateral trade volumes and collaboration in combating illegal money laundering activities.
Trudeau, like President Biden, has long been a supporter of Ukraine, offering military, economic, and humanitarian aid to the country in crisis.
This Tuesday, Sullivan will also visit China to arrange a meeting between Biden and Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping. Sullivan’s trip to Beijing will last until Thursday, making him the first National Security Advisor to visit China since 2016.
The White House had previously mentioned that Sullivan would meet with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to discuss Beijing’s support for the Russian defense industry, as well as issues related to the South China Sea, North Korea, the Middle East, Myanmar, and artificial intelligence. This marks the fifth meeting between the two officials.
In recent years, tensions between the U.S. and China have escalated on various issues, including the spy balloon incident, U.S. sanctions on Chinese officials, restrictions on semiconductor exports to China, disputes involving TikTok, and matters concerning the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea. However, both sides have recently indicated that the U.S.-China tension has eased somewhat.
Following his announcement in July to withdraw from the presidential race, Biden stated that he plans to dedicate more time to diplomatic matters. It is expected that both Biden and Xi Jinping will attend the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Brazil after the U.S. election in November.
Additionally, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member countries’ leaders will hold a summit in mid-November in Peru, potentially creating an opportunity for the two leaders to meet.