A senior U.S. official at the White House revealed on Wednesday that U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping plan to hold a "virtual" summit before the end of the year. The U.S. official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, stated that there is a "preliminary agreement" for a "virtual bilateral meeting" between the two leaders.
The official added that the U.S. President has expressed a desire to see Xi Jinping, which has not occurred for several years, and they expect to be able to conduct the meeting even if it is virtual, according to AFP. The official addressed media reports indicating that the Chinese president would not attend the upcoming G20 leaders' summit in Rome, which would have been an opportunity for a meeting between Biden and Xi.
Meanwhile, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met in Zurich with senior Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi for a six-hour discussion, according to the senior U.S. official. AFP reported that the Chinese news agency Xinhua stated that Yang Jiechi called for cooperation between the two countries during the meeting. He was quoted as saying, "When China and the United States cooperate, both countries and the entire world will benefit, and when they confront each other, both countries will suffer greatly, as will the world." He added that Beijing "values the positive remarks made recently by President Joe Biden regarding U.S.-China relations," according to AFP.
Sullivan's visit is part of ongoing communication between Beijing and Washington, as Biden calls for establishing "protective barriers" for the increasing competition between the two powers. Tensions have escalated between the two countries due to China's actions regarding Taiwan, the U.S. decision to sell nuclear-powered submarines to Australia, trade disputes, and human rights violations, particularly those affecting the Uyghurs in Xinjiang.
On Monday, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai announced that she would soon hold talks with her Chinese counterpart. Biden, who has known the Chinese president for years, has made two phone calls to him since taking office, with the second call last month lasting around 90 minutes.
