High-Stakes Diplomacy: China's Top Official Set to Make Historic Visit to Washington

China's top diplomat, Wang Yi, is set to visit Washington, DC, later this week, according to senior administration officials on Monday. This visit comes ahead of a possible meeting between Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping in California next month. During his trip to the US capital from October 26-28, Wang will hold meetings with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and national security Adviser Jake Sullivan.

It remains unclear whether Wang will meet with Biden, but Blinken did meet with Xi during his visit to Beijing. According to an official, Wang's trip is being described as a "reciprocal visit" following Blinken's trip in June. While tensions between the two countries remain high, the Biden administration has been actively seeking dialogue with Beijing. Wang's visit is taking place amidst efforts by the US to prevent further escalation of the Israel-Hamas conflict in the Middle East and the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict.

"This visit by Wang Yi serves to maintain continuous communication channels with China regarding a wide range of issues," the official stated.

US officials are anticipated to engage in discussions with Wang on various matters including "the South and East China Seas, cross-Strait issues, the Middle East, Russia's involvement in Ukraine's war, and North Korea's provocative actions," among other topics.

The official refrained from providing specific information about the message to be conveyed to Wang concerning the Israel-Hamas war. However, the official did mention that they are closely monitoring the situation, and this will influence the nature of the discussion on Thursday and Friday.

On October 14, Blinken had a conversation with Wang, during which he urged Beijing to utilize its diplomatic ties with Middle Eastern countries to prevent the escalation of the conflict in Israel, according to a senior official from the State Department.

According to a senior administration official, prioritizing the resumption of military to military relations is vital. The official emphasized the need for fully open communication channels and sustained dialogue between the defense establishments, in order to effectively manage the relationship and competition, and reduce the risk of miscalculation leading to conflict. Although there have been some sporadic engagements in recent months, the establishment of these channels is still pending. The official assured that this matter will be discussed during Wang Yi's visit.