Familiar and new faces join US delegation for lakeside talks in Beijing

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan was joined by a large contingent for meetings with China’s top diplomat Wang Yi

Reading Time:2 minutes

US national security adviser Jake Sullivan (fourth left) and China’s top diplomat Wang Yi (fourth right) hold talks at Yanqi Lake in Beijing on Tuesday. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 7:00pm, 29 Aug 2024Updated: 1:28pm, 30 Aug 2024

Senior White House official Jake Sullivan has wrapped up two days of talks with China’s top diplomat Wang Yi in Beijing, as the two sides seek to manage tensions ahead of the US election.

Sullivan – who is on his first trip to China as national security adviser – also met President Xi Jinping on Thursday, the last day of his visit, and held what he described as a “rare” meeting with Zhang Youxia, vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission.

03:41

China committed to stable ties with US, Xi Jinping tells Jake Sullivan

It was the fifth time Sullivan and Foreign Minister Wang have held talks since May 2023, and this time the American official was accompanied by a large delegation – nearly all of them Chinese speakers, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

There were three new faces among the US contingent at the talks, which were held at a secluded lakeside resort on the northern outskirts of Beijing.

One of them was Diana Chu Partridge, a former diplomat with the US embassy in China who is now director for China at the National Security Council, according to CCTV. It noted her extensive experience in the country including engaging with Chinese officials and academics on US-China relations.

The other two were Joy Li, director for strategic planning at the NSC, and Nicole Fasano, policy adviser to the national security adviser at the NSC.