After a gruelling 11-hour dialogue in Beijing this week between Jake Sullivan, US national security adviser, and high-ranking Chinese officials, it was confirmed that the two parties continue to have a significant gap on majority of matters. However, the advancement achieved was substantial enough to schedule a phone conversation between presidents Xi Jinping and Joe Biden in the upcoming weeks, as well as a potential face-to-face meeting before the end of the year.
This visit marks Sullivan’s first trip to Beijing as a White House national security adviser in eight years, yet it is the most recent in a string of encounters with Wang Yi, Chinese Foreign Minister. These talks succeeded consecutive visits from top-ranking administration personnel such as Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo.
Sullivan commented to the press in Beijing upon the conclusion of his visit, highlighting the competitive nature of the US-China relationship. He emphasised the need for prudent management of this rivalry through in-depth, arduous diplomatic discussions.
Sullivan’s discussions were primarily with Wang, who holds a key position within the Communist Party leadership as well as being the foreign minister. He also had interchange with Xi, and notably with Gen Zhang Youxia, Vice-Chairman of the China’s Central Military Commission. Considered a significant move by diplomats from both sides, Sullivan’s conversation with Zhang, who is viewed as being more dominant than the defence minister in Beijing, comes as both the US and Chinese militaries are increasing their coordination in an attempt to prevent inadvertent conflicts in the South China Sea.
Recent weeks have seen an escalation in tensions between China and the Philippines due to a territorial disagreement in the South China Sea, causing clashes amongst coast guard ships. This has stirred Washington’s interest due to their existing mutual defence pact with Manila, which could be provoked by assaults on Filipino coast guard boats.
The discussions with Sullivan are an attempt on China’s part to relieve the tension with the US and bring some stability to their relationship by attempting to mitigate bilateral disputes, like trade. However, China made it clear that it would not tolerate any interference by the US regarding Taiwan, democracy, human rights, China’s political regime or its economic growth.
Sullivan reaffirmed the US’s commitment to daringly protect Taiwan against possible intimidation from Beijing and persistently raise the issue of human rights in China. However, he emphasised that Biden’s aim is to manage competitiveness with China and sidestep conflict. This is a strategy he believes would be upheld by Kamala Harris, should she succeed in the forthcoming November presidential elections.
Sullivan noted that Vice-President Harris has been a pivotal and influential member of Biden’s foreign policy team and has contributed significantly to the overall strategic design and implementation in the Indo-Pacific, particularly pertaining to effective management of US-China relations. He also emphasised that Harris concurs with Biden’s stance of responsibly handling these challenges to prevent them spiralling into confrontations, and that an open top-level channel of communication can enable this responsible management.