US President Joe Biden delivers remarks on health care coverage and the economy at the White House in Washington on July 7, 2023. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo Obtaining licensing rights
WASHINGTON, Oct 25 (Reuters) – President Joe Biden is expected to speak with Wang Yi when China’s top diplomat visits the White House this week, according to U.S. officials familiar with planning for the visit.
Wang, who is scheduled to meet with Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, at the White House on Friday, could see Biden in person at that time, according to one of the people.
The White House declined to comment.
It is unclear how significant their interaction will be, but even the informal greeting will be the most significant interaction between Biden and the Chinese government since he met briefly with Chinese President Xi Jinping’s second-in-command, Premier Li Qiang, on the sidelines of the G20 summit in 2018. New Delhi.
It comes as US and Chinese officials pave the way for a long-awaited bilateral meeting between Biden and Xi at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in November in San Francisco. Xi and Biden last met at the Bali summit last November.
Wang is also scheduled to meet with Secretary of State Antony Blinken during his trip to Washington on Thursday and Saturday. Several senior US officials, including Blinken, met with their Chinese counterparts in Beijing this summer.
Wang is the Chinese Communist Party’s top foreign affairs official and also foreign minister since Chen Gang was dismissed in July.
Biden said during a press conference on Wednesday that he intends to “compete” with China “according to international rules – economically, politically and in other ways – but I am not looking for conflict.” He also warned Chinese officials against aggression towards the Philippines.
For his part, Xi said on Wednesday that China is ready to cooperate with the United States as the two sides manage their differences and work together to respond to global challenges, according to Chinese state media.
Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt Editing by Heather Timmons and Lincoln Feast.
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