Senior U.S. and Chinese diplomats had "in-depth" talks in Washington this week, a State Department official said Thursday, as the two countries explore a summit between their presidents in November.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller disclosed that Daniel Kritenbrink, assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, held a meeting with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong on Wednesday.
The two diplomats in charge of Asian affairs held a "candid, in-depth and constructive consultation on regional issues as part of ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communication," Miller said during a press briefing, without elaborating.
Despite disputes over a number of issues, the United States and China holding such diplomatic talks suggests they are stepping up preparations for a one-on-one meeting between President Joe Biden and President Xi Jinping in November, possibly on the sidelines of a multilateral meeting in San Francisco.
Last week, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken agreed with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng in New York to maintain open lines of communication and hold "senior engagements in the coming weeks."
The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that China's top diplomat Wang Yi is planning to visit Washington in October.
Citing people familiar with the situation, the paper also said the two countries are discussing a trip to the U.S. capital by Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, Xi's top economic adviser.
If the trip is realized, he would be the highest-ranking Chinese official to visit the United States since Biden took office in 2021.
Biden, who will chair this year's leaders' meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in the major West Coast city, and Xi last held face-to-face talks in November last year in Indonesia ahead of a Group of 20 summit.
