China's chief diplomat Wang Yi embarks on a visit to the US; President Biden remains resolute
China's top diplomat is commencing discussions on Thursday, with preparations underway for a potential summit between Presidents Xi Jinping and Joe Biden, whom the latter recently expressed a commitment to defending Asian allies.
In a rare high-level visit, Foreign Minister Wang Yi is coming to Washington as the world's two largest economies endeavor to navigate if not completely resolve, a range of conflicts that have consistently led to heightened tensions in recent years.
Wang's visit will commence with a meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who visited Beijing in June and will host his counterpart for a private dinner.
Meanwhile, Biden has extended an invitation to President Xi for a summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in San Francisco next month. This would mark the first meeting between the two leaders in a year.
American officials have frequently emphasized the need to establish "guardrails" to mitigate worst-case scenarios and have made attempts, albeit unsuccessfully, to reestablish communication between the two militaries. These efforts persist, despite strong disagreements between the two powers on matters spanning trade to Taiwan.
"We're going to compete with China (in) every way according to the international rules - economically, politically, in other ways. But I'm not looking for conflict," Biden said Wednesday as he welcomed Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
Additionally, President Biden issued a cautionary statement in response to allegations made by the Philippines, a treaty-bound ally and former U.S. colony. The Philippines claimed that Chinese vessels intentionally collided with Manila's boats in waters marked by disputes, although Beijing disputed this account.
"Any attack on Filipino aircraft, vessels, or armed forces will invoke our mutual defense treaty with the Philippines," Biden said.
Biden mentioned that he had previously engaged in discussions with Xi regarding the concerns expressed by the Chinese leader.
"No, we're not surrounding China; we're just making sure that the sea lanes remain open, the US President said.
China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning expressed optimism that Wang's visit would contribute to reestablishing healthy and stable development in relations with the United States.
Tensions have notably escalated concerning Taiwan, a self-governing democracy claimed by Beijing. In the past year, Taiwan has initiated significant military exercises in response to actions taken by U.S. lawmakers.
The United States has increased its military support for Taiwan out of concern that China might be advancing its intentions to take control of the island. However, U.S. officials are hopeful that China may reconsider its actions due to the challenges it faces in Ukraine.
