Biden dispatches Sullivan to meet China diplomat in Zurich

WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden is dispatching White House nationalist information advisor Jake Sullivan for talks with elder Chinese overseas argumentation advisor Yang Jiechi successful Switzerland arsenic the 2 countries find themselves astatine likelihood connected a assortment of issues, including Taiwan and trade.

The meeting, acceptable for Wednesday successful Zurich, comes aft the White House connected Monday criticized Beijing implicit respective days of sustained subject harassment against the self-ruled land of Taiwan.

The talks are to beryllium a follow-up connected Biden's telephone with President Xi Jinping past period arsenic the medication continues “to question to responsibly negociate the competition” betwixt the 2 countries, White House National Security Council spokesperson Emily Horne said successful a statement.

The White House this week raised concerns that Beijing was undermining determination bid and stableness with its “provocative” action. In caller days, China has sent dozens of combatant planes toward Taiwan — including a grounds 56 connected Monday.

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U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai said successful a code connected Monday she plans frank conversations with officials successful Beijing astir an interim commercialized woody aimed astatine resolving a tariff war.

Tai said she did not privation to “inflame commercialized tensions with China.” But her comments suggested that Biden volition proceed enforcing pugnacious tariffs against China adopted by his predecessor, Donald Trump.

The latest incursions occurred aft Taiwan applied to articulation a large determination commercialized pact. Beijing vehemently opposes efforts by the West that connection Taiwan the quality of sovereign federation presumption and has expressed its absorption to the application.

China claims democratically ruled Taiwan arsenic its ain territory, to beryllium brought nether its power by unit if necessary. It refuses to admit the island’s authorities and has progressively sought to isolate the independence-leaning medication of President Tsai Ing-wen.

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Under longstanding policy, the United States provides governmental and subject enactment for Taiwan, but does not explicitly committedness to support it from a Chinese attack. Asked astir the caller surge successful provocations by Chinese combatant jets, Biden connected Tuesday noted that helium has antecedently spoken to Xi astir Taiwan and that his medication intends to “abide by the Taiwan agreement.”

Biden has repeatedly called retired China for what the medication sees arsenic Beijing's coercive commercialized practices, quality rights abuses against taste minorities and its handling of the coronavirus pandemic that originated from the country's Wuhan province. At the aforesaid time, the medication has expressed anticipation that the 2 sides tin enactment unneurotic connected issues of communal interest — including clime alteration and preventing a atomic situation connected the Korean Peninsula — contempt the differences.

Administration officials person expressed vexation that interactions with high-level Chinese officials successful the aboriginal going of the medication person been little than constructive.

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In June, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Yang had a tense call, with Beijing saying it told the U.S. to cease interfering successful its interior affairs and accusing Washington of politicizing the hunt for the root of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sullivan and Blinken besides had heated exchanges with Yang erstwhile they met successful March with apical Chinese officials successful Anchorage. At that meeting, Yang accused the U.S. of failing to woody with its ain quality rights problems and took contented with what helium said was American hypocrisy.

The South China Morning Post archetypal reported plans for the gathering betwixt Sullivan and Yang.

Sullivan volition besides question this week to Brussels and Paris for talks with allies.

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Associated Press writer Alexandra Jaffe contributed reporting.

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