US national security advisor, Chinese foreign minister meet in Malta

WASHINGTON

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Malta this weekend, the White House said on Sunday.

"This meeting was part of ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communication and responsibly manage the relationship," the White House said in a statement.

"The two sides had candid, substantive, and constructive discussions, building on the engagements between President Biden and President Xi in Bali, Indonesia in November 2022," it added.

The White House noted that the meeting follows recent high-level engagements, including one in May in Vienna between National Security Advisor Sullivan and Director Wang Yi, as well as meetings in recent months between Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of Treasury Janet Yellen, Special Envoy John Kerry, Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, and their counterparts in Beijing.

The two sides discussed key issues in the U.S.-China bilateral relationship, global and regional security issues, Russia’s war against Ukraine, and cross-Strait issues, among other topics, said the White House.

"The United States noted the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait," it said.

"The two sides committed to maintain this strategic channel of communication and to pursue additional high-level engagement and consultations in key areas between the United States and the People’s Republic of China in the coming months," it added.

The meeting came days after US President Joe Biden said he was disappointed that Chinese President Xi Jinping was not attending the summit of G-20 leaders in India on Sept. 9-10.