MONITORING DESK
BEIJING: A senior United States (US) delegation visiting China discussed ways to improve relations and the Taiwan issue, Beijing said Monday, as both sides prepared for a visit by Antony Blinken, the US Secretary of State.
The negotiations — involving Daniel Kritenbrink, senior US envoy for East Asia, Laura Rosenberger, US National Security Council Senior Director for China and Taiwan, and Xie Feng, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister — took place on Monday and Sunday in Hebei province of China, Beijing said in a statement.
The visit comes after last month’s summit in Bali, Indonesia where Chinese President Xi Jinping and the United States (US) President Joe Biden pledged to repair frayed relations.
United States and China consensus
On Monday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said that the two countries’ delegations “had in-depth talks on implementing the consensus reached by President Xi and Biden.”
The Chinese official said the meeting also touched on Taiwan, the self-ruled democratic island China claims as its territory, and increasing differences between China and the United States.
A senior US diplomat described the talks as “substantive and candid” and said both sides also discussed Russia’s war in Ukraine and North Korea.
