Exclusive | Washington confirms direct engagement between US and Chinese diplomats
- Beijing’s most senior envoys, Yang Jiechi and Wang Yi, may be sent for face-to-face discussions with their American counterparts in Anchorage
- Talks could be a chance to find common ground and begin to leave the Trump era behind, analyst says
The White House has confirmed that Chinese and US diplomats are “directly engaged” in talks, in response to questions over an exclusive report in the South China Morning Post that plans are afoot for a senior level meeting in Alaska.
“Of course there‘ll be a range of engagements that the president and his national security team will have with China and other countries in the region in the months and years ahead,” press secretary Jen Psaki said on Tuesday, when asked to confirm the meeting would take place.
“We are directly engaged. There are a range of issues we of course have talked with the Chinese about through those engagements. We don’t hold back about our concerns, but we also look for opportunities to work together,” she said.
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China warns US to stay out of Hong Kong affairs ahead of Alaska talks
The two presidents, who have known each other for a decade, talked on the phone on the eve of the Lunar New Year on February 11, in conversation for over two hours.
