(Bloomberg) — China mentioned it arrange a bunch with the U.S. to debate disputes, forward of a video summit between President Joe Biden and his Chinese language counterpart Xi Jinping deliberate for later this yr.
Chinese language Vice International Minister Le Yucheng mentioned in an interview with state broadcaster CGTN that the group had already “made some progress,” with out specifying particulars.
“Dialogue and cooperation are indispensable and confrontation and battle will lead us nowhere,” Le mentioned. “We take severely U.S. current optimistic statements on China-U.S. relations,” he added.
In current weeks, Washington and Beijing have been rebuilding communication strains minimize off throughout years of clashes over all the things from commerce and Taiwan to tech and the origins of the coronavirus below the Trump administration. Whereas China has sought to painting high-level communications with the Biden administration because the restoration of a “strategic dialogue,” the U.S. has disputed comparisons to an earlier course of criticized in Washington as ineffective.
The thaw got here after the U.S. launched Huawei Applied sciences Co. Chief Monetary Officer Meng Wanzhou from extradition proceedings in Canada final month — considered one of a number of calls for Chinese language diplomats handed to visiting American envoys in July as a situation to interrupt the logjam. The Chinese language aspect subsequently freed two Canadians detained on spying prices within the wake of Meng’s December 2018 arrest, though either side denied any hyperlink between the 2 actions.
Since then, high U.S. and Chinese language officers have held in-person conferences on the army, commerce and safety. The video summit can be the primary public one-on-one assembly between Biden and Xi, though a date has but to be set.
White Home Press Secretary Jen Psaki advised reporters Tuesday she had no new data to offer on the summit. “It’s simply one thing that we’re working via and in discussions about at a employees stage,” she mentioned.
Le mentioned the high-level talks have been proof that China’s “door to dialogue is open” at any time. “Within the meantime, the 2 sides have to work collectively to construct a superb ambiance and create optimistic situations for the 2 presidents to fulfill,” he added.
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