Readout of National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan’s meeting with Chinese Communist Party Politburo Member, Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission, and Foreign Minister Wang Yi

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met on August 27-28 with Chinese Communist Party Politburo Member, Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission, and Foreign Minister Wang Yi outside Beijing, China.  This meeting was part of ongoing efforts to maintain channels of communication and responsibly manage the relationship between the United States and the People’s Republic of China (PRC), as discussed by President Biden and President Xi at the November 2023 Woodside Summit.  

The two sides held candid, substantive, and constructive discussions on a range of bilateral, regional, and global issues.  They discussed progress and next steps on implementation of the Woodside Summit commitments, including counternarcotics, military-to-military communications, and AI safety and risk.  Both sides welcomed ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communication, including planning for a leader-level call in the coming weeks.  They noted the importance of regular, ongoing military-to-military communications and planned to hold a theater commander telephone call in the near future.  Mr. Sullivan and Director Wang discussed next steps to reduce the flow of illicit synthetic drugs, continue repatriation of undocumented migrants, and law enforcement cooperation.  They underscored the importance of concrete steps to tackle the climate crisis and welcomed further discussions during Senior Advisor to the President for International Climate Policy John Podesta’s upcoming travel to China. 

Mr. Sullivan emphasized that the United States will continue to take necessary actions to prevent advanced U.S. technologies from being used to undermine our national security, without unduly limiting trade or investment.  He also raised continued concerns about the PRC’s unfair trade policies and non-market economic practices.  Mr. Sullivan reiterated that it remains a top priority to resolve the cases of American citizens who are wrongfully detained or subject to exit bans in China.  He also underscored the long-standing U.S. commitment to universal human rights and fundamental freedoms.

Mr. Sullivan underscored the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.  He emphasized concerns about the PRC’s support for Russia’s defense industrial base and its impact on European and transatlantic security.  Mr. Sullivan reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to defending its Indo-Pacific allies and expressed concern about the PRC’s destabilizing actions against lawful Philippine maritime operations in the South China Sea.  The two sides also discussed shared concerns about the DPRK, Burma, and the Middle East.

Mr. Sullivan and Director Wang noted the importance of this strategic channel of communication over the past eighteen months and committed to maintaining high-level diplomacy and working level consultations on an ongoing basis.