What’s new: Senior diplomats from China and the U.S. held talks on arms control and nonproliferation as the countries continue their efforts to maintain “open lines of communication” and “responsibly manage” relations, according to government statements.
Sun Xiaobo, director-general of the Department of Arms Control of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Mallory Stewart, U.S. assistant secretary of state for the Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance, met in Washington Monday.
They discussed issues ranging from cooperation among the five nuclear-armed states, nuclear security, nonproliferation and export controls to biosecurity compliance, outer space security and conventional arms control, according to a Wednesday statement from the foreign ministry.
The U.S. highlighted the need to “promote stability, help avert an unconstrained arms race, and manage competition” to prevent a conflict, according to the Department of State.
The background: The talks come as the world’s two largest economies are preparing for a potential meeting between their leaders at the APEC summit in San Francisco later this month.
The talks in Washington also follow a meeting between Foreign Minister Wang Yi and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. A series of senior U.S. officials have visited China since June as the two countries work to repair fraught ties.
Contact reporter Wang Xintong (xintongwang@caixin.com) and editor Jonathan Breen (jonathanbreen@caixin.com)
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