Top Biden Aide, Chinese Military Brass Hold Rare Talks in Beijing

AFP/APP

Beijing: A senior Chinese military official has warned the United States to cease “collusion” with Taiwan, while top White House aide Jake Sullivan emphasized the importance of stability in the tense Taiwan Strait during a rare one-on-one meeting on Thursday, both sides reported.

Sullivan, the first U.S. National Security Advisor to visit China since 2016, arrived in Beijing on Tuesday for three days of talks with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and other high-ranking officials. The visit took place amid rising security tensions between China and U.S. allies Japan and the Philippines.

On Thursday morning, Sullivan met with senior Chinese military chief Zhang Youxia at the Beijing headquarters of the Central Military Commission. “It’s rare that we have the opportunity to have this kind of exchange,” Sullivan remarked in his opening comments to Zhang.

Both officials agreed to arrange a call between their respective theatre commanders “in the near future,” according to a White House readout.

Sullivan also underscored the importance of “freedom of navigation” in the South China Sea, where tensions have escalated between Beijing and Manila in recent months, and stressed the need for “stability” in the Taiwan Strait, according to Washington.

In response, Zhang reiterated that the status of the self-ruled island is “the first red line that cannot be crossed in China-U.S. relations.” He further stated that “China has always been committed to maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait,” according to a readout by China’s Ministry of Defense.