4-11-2023 (WASHINGTON) In a “candid” discussion on Friday, November 3, the United States and China addressed maritime issues, including the disputed South China Sea. The US State Department expressed its concerns about China’s “dangerous and unlawful” actions in the region during the talks, which took place in Beijing. Mark Lambert, the department’s China Coordinator, met with Hong Liang, China’s Director-General for Boundary and Ocean Affairs.
These discussions follow recent high-level diplomatic efforts ahead of an anticipated meeting between US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping during the mid-November APEC summit in San Francisco.
The State Department stated that the talks were part of ongoing efforts to maintain open communication and responsibly manage the US-China relationship. The US side emphasized the need to resume military-military channels to avoid miscommunication and miscalculation.
Describing the talks as “substantive, constructive, and candid,” the discussions covered various maritime issues, including the South China Sea and East China Sea, which are contested by China and other nations.
The US statement underlined concerns regarding China’s dangerous and unlawful actions in the South China Sea. These actions included China’s obstruction of a Philippine resupply mission at Second Thomas Shoal on October 22 and the unsafe intercept of a US aircraft on October 24.
China announced on October 30, following Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to Washington, that consultations on arms control, non-proliferation, and separate talks on maritime affairs and other issues would take place between the US and China in the coming days.
The US State Department spokesperson revealed that Sun Xiaobo, head of the arms-control department at China’s Foreign Ministry, would visit the State Department next week for discussions with US Assistant Secretary for Arms Control Mallory Stewart.
The spokesperson emphasized the US’s continuous call for substantive engagement from China on arms control issues and reducing strategic risk. This reference points to US concerns about China’s nuclear weapons build-up and frustration over Beijing’s reluctance to address these concerns.
In recent months, there has been a flurry of diplomatic engagements, primarily at the request of the US, aimed at salvaging the deteriorating relationship between the two countries following the US’s downing of a suspected Chinese spy balloon in February 2023.
While a meeting between Biden and Xi is expected to take place this month, China has not yet confirmed it. Furthermore, a senior Biden administration official stated on October 31 that important details still need to be worked out.
