What’s new: Foreign Minister Wang Yi and U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan held multiple rounds of talks this weekend in Malta, where the two sides agreed on more engagement in the Asia-Pacific, maritime and foreign policy affairs, the foreign ministry said.
Both sides called the Sept. 16-17 discussions “candid, substantive and constructive,” according to statements from the Chinese Foreign Ministry and the White House.
Wang reiterated Beijing’s stance over the Taiwan issue, stating it’s a “red line that must not be crossed,” while Washington “noted the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,” the statements said.
The two sides also discussed ways to boost travel-related facilitation measures between the two countries, the foreign ministry said.
Both countries “committed to maintain this strategic channel of communication,” the White House statement said, adding that there’ll be more engagement in key areas “in the coming months.”
What’s more: Vice President Han Zheng is expected to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in New York on Monday afternoon, the State Department’s schedule showed. Han is traveling to the U.S. to attend the United Nations General Assembly’s annual high-level debate from Monday through Saturday.
Last week, Premier Li Qiang met with U.S. President Joe Biden at the Group of 20 summit in New Delhi, the highest-level meeting between the governments this year.
Biden has expressed hope to meet with President Xi Jinping soon during a visit to Vietnam last week, according to U.S. media reports. The two leaders last met in November.
Contact reporter Kelly Wang (jingzhewang@caixin.com) and editor Bertrand Teo (bertrandteo@caixin.com)
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