US and Chinese Diplomats Engage in Open Dialogue on Maritime Matters during Beijing Meeting
Talks are part of Biden admin’s efforts to maintain open lines of communication with Beijing, according to US State Department.
Senior officials from the United States and China met in Beijing on Friday for what the State Department described as “substantive” and “candid” talks on maritime issues, including on the contested South China Sea.
The talks were held in Beijing between Mark Lambert, the department’s China Coordinator and deputy assistant secretary for China and Taiwan, and China’s director-general for boundary and ocean affairs, Hong Liang.
The department said the meeting was part of the Biden administration’s “ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communication” with Beijing and “responsibly manage the U.S.-China relationship.”
Washington said it raised concerns over China’s “dangerous and unlawful actions in the South China Sea,” citing Chinese obstruction of an Oct. 22 Philippine resupply mission at Second Thomas Shoal and its “unsafe intercept” of a U.S. aircraft on Oct. 24.
Tense US-China Relations
Mr. Lambert’s visit precedes a planned meeting between President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in San Francisco later this month.
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Ties between China and the United States have reached historic lows due to disputes over Taiwan, the South China Sea, trade, security, technology, and other issues.
The Biden administration has sought high-level engagements with Beijing to stabilize relations. Top U.S. officials—including Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo—have previously visited China for talks with their counterparts.
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