High-Stakes Summit in Malta: Key US and Chinese Officials Engage in Game-Changing Talks

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Over the weekend, China's prominent diplomat Wang Yi and United States national security adviser Jake Sullivan engaged in a two-day meeting in Malta. This meeting aimed to improve the strained relationship between the world's two largest economies and potentially pave the way for a November meeting between their leaders, Joe Biden and Xi Jinping.

Both sides agreed that the discussions held on the Mediterranean island nation were honest, meaningful, and productive. The US expressed their commitment to further high-level engagement and consultations in important areas in the upcoming months, indicating their anticipation for ongoing diplomacy.

Chinas Foreign Ministry stated that both parties have agreed to maintain ongoing high-level communication in various areas, including consultations on Asia-Pacific affairs, maritime affairs, and foreign policy.

This meeting takes place after a series of visits by senior US officials to Beijing in recent months and precedes an upcoming chance for Chinese leader Xi to visit the US in November. During this time, President Biden will be hosting world leaders for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco.

After the weekend discussions, a high-ranking official from the Biden administration stated that there were no announcements from the White House regarding a possible meeting between the two leaders. However, it was mentioned that Biden is eager to meet with Xi in the near future.

The last meeting between Biden and Xi took place in November 2022 during the G20 summit in Bali.

The meeting between Wang and Sullivan occurs amid efforts by Beijing and Washington to improve and enhance communication in order to prevent their tense and hostile relationship from escalating into conflict.

Following a visit from former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan last August, China cut off several channels of communication with the United States. China's ruling Communist Party considers the self-governing democratic island as its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to acquire it.

According to a readout from China's Foreign Ministry, the island continues to be a highly contentious topic between the two countries. Wang informed Sullivan that the "Taiwan issue is the foremost impassable boundary in Sino-US relations" during the weekend. The statement emphasized the United States' obligation to adhere to the three Sino-US joint communiques and fulfill its pledge to not back Taiwan's independence. These joint statements, established in the 1970s and early 80s, played a crucial role in shaping the relationship between both nations.

The significance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait was acknowledged by the US, as stated in the official account of the meetings by the White House. The discussions between the two sides also encompassed Russia's conflict with Ukraine and various global as well as regional security matters.

Military communication

Following the weekend meeting, the senior Biden official stated that the necessity of re-establishment of military-to-military dialogue between the US and China was discussed. The official mentioned that there were "limited indications" suggesting China's potential willingness to revive those channels but refrained from providing further details.

Beijing previously cited America's "unilateral sanctions" as an impediment that must be eliminated before resuming dialogue. This seems to refer to the US sanctions imposed on Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu.

Li's sudden disappearance for over two weeks, along with a series of unexplained personnel changes that unsettled the upper echelons of the Communist Party this summer, has fueled speculation that he is being investigated by the party.

He took on his position earlier this year and has been subjected to US sanctions since 2018 due to China's purchase of Russian weapons. When asked about Sullivan addressing Li's location and the recent removal of former Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, the Biden administration representative stated that these matters were not discussed during the negotiations.

Wang, who served as the foreign minister for ten years until the end of last year, resumed his position after Qin's removal. He is anticipated to continue his diplomatic engagements by embarking on a visit to Moscow on Monday.

According to China's Foreign Ministry on Monday, Wang is scheduled to visit the country from September 18 to 21.

According to a statement released by the Russian Foreign Ministry last week, he is anticipated to hold a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss various aspects of bilateral cooperation. One of the main topics on the agenda will be a comprehensive exchange of perspectives concerning the resolution of the situation in Ukraine, as stated by the Russian ministry.

The meeting follows a high-profile summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Wednesday. The US has expressed concerns that this summit could result in Pyongyang providing weapons to Moscow for its involvement in the conflict in Ukraine. This report includes contributions from CNN's Natasha Bertrand, Steven Jiang, and Mengchen Zhang.