U.S. President Joe Biden’s National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan held a rare meeting on Thursday with one of China’s top generals during his visit to Beijing.
According to a report by Chinese broadcaster Phoenix TV, the meeting appears to be a sign of rapprochement between China and the U.S.
Gen. l Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission in Beijing, said that the meeting showed Sullivan’s high regard for the relations between the U.S. and Chinese militaries.
As adviser to Biden, Sullivan plays a crucial role in formulating U.S. security strategies and coordinating policy towards China, Zhang added.
The Central Military Commission is China’s highest military decision-making body and is chaired by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The White House said that, in the meeting, Sullivan stressed that both countries have a responsibility to prevent competition from veering into conflict or confrontation.
“The two sides reaffirmed the importance of regular military-to-military communications as part of efforts to maintain high-level diplomacy and open lines of communication.
“Open lines of communication as directed by President Biden and President Xi at the November 2023 Woodside Summit,’’ the White House added in a readout of the meeting.
“Sullivan and Vice Chairman Zhang recognised the progress in sustained, regular military-military communications over the past 10 months and planned to hold a theatre commander telephone call in the near future,’’ the White House said.
Sullivan is the first U.S. national security adviser to visit China in eight years, a period in which relations between Washington and Beijing have been strained by trade and security concerns.
The November meeting between Biden and Xi in California after a year of complete radio silence revived communication between Washington and Beijing, to an extent.
Nevertheless, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said that before Sullivan’s arrival Washington had continued to try to contain and suppress China.