The U.S. State Department stated on Monday (April 15) that a senior U.S. diplomat for East Asian affairs visited Beijing to discuss Middle East, Taiwan, and South China Sea issues with Chinese officials.
In a statement regarding the visit from April 14 to 16, the State Department said that Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink met with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu and the Deputy Director of the Taiwan Affairs Office, Qiu Kaiming.
The American delegation also included Sarah Beran, Senior Director for China and Taiwan Issues at the U.S. National Security Council, and U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns. The discussions covered bilateral, regional, and global issues, including the Middle East, Beijing’s support for Russia’s defense industry base, the Taiwan Strait, the South China Sea, and North Korea.
The statement mentioned that the visit was built on recent high-level diplomatic engagements with China to manage areas of divergence and cooperation while reducing the risk of miscalculation.
No details of the meetings were disclosed in the statement.
Despite U.S. officials stating that communication channels between Washington and Beijing have normalized following months of tensions, they also cautioned that Beijing’s support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could jeopardize U.S.-China stability.
These meetings took place ahead of the inauguration of Taiwan’s new president in May. Beijing claims Taiwan as its territory, although it has never ruled over the island historically. Last week, a trilateral summit involving the U.S., Japan, and the Philippines focused on countering Beijing’s assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region, particularly in the South China Sea.
In response, Beijing summoned the ambassadors of Japan and the Philippines to protest. The White House asserted that the Chinese Communist Party had no grounds to view the trilateral summit as a threat to China.
During the summit with the Philippines, the U.S. reiterated its “ironclad” support for the Philippines in addressing maritime disputes in the South China Sea. In recent weeks, there have been several tense maritime incidents near Thitu Reef between the two countries.
In Monday’s statement, the U.S. emphasized its commitment to advancing the interests and values of the United States and its allies and partners.
(Text adapted from Reuters report)