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Exclusive | Xi-Biden summit moves closer with senior US diplomat Wendy Sherman’s China visit
- The State Department No 2 will meet Chinese foreign vice-minister Xie Feng next week, paving the way for top-level encounter
- Visit provides opportunity for engagement ahead of the next phase of the Biden administration’s China policy
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Washington is sending a senior diplomat to China next week in a visit seen as an essential first step towards a potential leadership summit between the two powers.
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Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman will meet China’s foreign vice-minister Xie Feng in Tianjin, where they will discuss the possibility of a meeting between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi, a source said.
Such a meeting is seen as essential to pave the way for further engagement between President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.
Sherman’s visit will also provide a rare opportunity for engagement ahead of the next phase of Biden’s China policy, as his point man for Asia Kurt Campbell puts the finishing touches on a review that will provide recommendations for the US administration’s future policy direction.
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Biden will take part in a virtual meeting of the Apec Forum on Friday. It is unknown whether there are plans for a discussion with Xi at that time, but some have raised the possibility that a meeting could take place during the October G20 meeting in Rome.
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