China’s top diplomat Wang Yi to visit US, will discuss a range of issues, says Washington

China’s top diplomat Wang Yi will travel to Washington later this week, officials in the United States announced on Monday (Oct 23). The long-anticipated and rare visit comes amid soaring tensions in the Middle East among other issues related to trade, the Ukraine war, Taiwan, and Beijing’s actions at the sea near the Philippines.

Wang will visit Washington from October 26 to 28 and will meet with his American counterpart Secretary of State Antony Blinken and President Joe Biden’s national security advisor Jake Sullivan. It was not immediately clear if the Chinese official would meet the US president or not.

Wang will be the highest-ranking Chinese official in the US capital in nearly five years or so. The long-awaited trip follows visits by several high-level American lawmakers, including Blinken,to Beijing over the summer.

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The visit also comes ahead of an expected meeting between Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in San Francisco, California, in November.

What’s on the agenda?

A senior US official who briefed reporters on the trip on customary condition of anonymity said that Washington’s top priority has been to ensure the intense competition between the world’s two largest economies and their disagreements over a host of issues do not veer into conflict, reported Reuters.

“We continue to believe that direct face-to-face diplomacy is the best way to raise challenging issues, address misperception and miscommunication, and explore working with the Chinese where our interests intersect,” said the US official, as quoted by AFP.

The visit also comes as Israel continues to bombard Gaza in retaliation for Palestinian militant group Hamas’ attacks, while Russia’s war in Ukraine grinds on. Washington has repeatedly reiterated support for both Tel Aviv and Kyiv.

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The Israel-Hamas war and the Ukraine war would both be discussed, said a second US official, as per Reuters, adding that the US would “push the Chinese to take a more constructive approach on both.”

Speaking about territorial disputes in the South and East China Seas, US officials said Washington was deeply concerned by China’s “destabilizing and dangerous actions” in the South China Sea and this would also be on the agenda during Wang’s visit to Washington.

The US will also prioritise efforts to re-establish military-to-military ties with China, said the US officials.

Recently, both Beijing and Washington have sought diplomatic advantage against each other over the ongoing violence in the Middle East. During his multi-nation visit to the region, Blinken spoke to Wang asking Beijing to exert pressure on Iran, which supposedly backs Hamas.

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Meanwhile, China has since criticised the US for its staunch support for Israel after it vetoed the United Nations Security Council resolution, which Washington rejected after it did not call for Israel’s right to defend itself.

(With inputs from agencies)

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