27-1-2024 (BEIJING) Top diplomat Wang Yi from China and US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan engaged in “candid, substantive” discussions in Bangkok, Thailand’s capital, on Saturday. The talks addressed various issues, with the topic of Taiwan taking center stage following the recent elections held there.
China and the United States have been at odds over multiple contentious subjects in recent years, including technology, trade, human rights, and conflicting claims in the South China Sea. However, relations have somewhat stabilized since President Joe Biden and Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping met in San Francisco for talks in November, which both sides considered a qualified success.
According to a statement released by China’s foreign ministry on Saturday evening, Wang and Sullivan engaged in “candid, substantive, and fruitful strategic communication” regarding the implementation of the consensus reached during the San Francisco meeting. They also discussed the proper handling of important and sensitive issues in China-US relations.
The White House, in a statement released on Saturday, echoed China’s description of the talks and added that the meeting was part of an effort to maintain open lines of communication and responsibly manage the competition in the relationship between the two countries. The statement further mentioned that the two sides are working towards arranging a call between President Xi and President Biden as part of their pursuit of high-level diplomacy.
Recent tensions between the two powers have revolved around Taiwan, which China claims as its territory. Taiwan held elections this month, and the Democratic Progressive Party, which rejects China’s claim, secured a third term. Chinese officials had criticized President-elect Lai Ching-te, portraying him as a dangerous separatist leading Taiwan towards independence.
In response, two groups of US lawmakers visited Taiwan to reaffirm Washington’s support. The talks in Bangkok addressed the Taiwan issue, with Wang emphasizing that Taiwan is an internal affair of China and that the regional election cannot alter the fact that Taiwan is part of China. China highlighted the “Taiwan independence” movement as the biggest risk to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and as the main challenge to China-US relations.
The discussions also covered other international topics, including the Middle East, Ukraine, North Korea, and the South China Sea. Both sides agreed to establish a joint working group on anti-drug cooperation and initiate an intergovernmental dialogue on artificial intelligence in the spring. The talks also acknowledged the progress made in resuming military-to-military communication and stressed the importance of maintaining these channels for future dialogue.
