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US-China ties seen ‘warming up again in stages’ as top officials meet
- Chinese vice-president is set to meet US secretary of state in New York
- There is ‘clear political will’ to manage tensions, according to analyst
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![US national security adviser Jake Sullivan and Wang Yi, China’s top diplomat, hold talks in Malta on Saturday. Photo: Xinhua via AP](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/1020x680/public/d8/images/canvas/2023/09/18/c89420bc-089b-446a-bae6-da36979dbc88_e8b38e94.jpg?itok=v6R5FDzP&v=1695039394)
The latest high-level talks between China and the US signal that ties are slowly warming, and that there is political resolve to manage tensions, according to analysts.
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The assessment came as Chinese Vice-President Han Zheng is expected to meet US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in New York on Monday.
That meeting, to be held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, follows talks in Malta over the weekend between US national security adviser Jake Sullivan and Wang Yi, China’s top diplomat. Both sides described the talks as “candid, substantive and constructive”, touching on topics ranging from bilateral ties to the war in Ukraine, and Taiwan.
![Vice-President Han Zheng is expected to meet the US secretary of state in New York. Photo: AFP Vice-President Han Zheng is expected to meet the US secretary of state in New York. Photo: AFP](https://img.i-scmp.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2023/09/18/e1a6e291-e779-4a93-8e58-3c9b19ae2490_317cd91e.jpg)
According to the US readout, the Malta meeting was part of “ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communication and responsibly manage the relationship”. It also said the US “noted the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait”.
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