Jake Sullivan with Wang Yi
China said on Saturday that top diplomat Wang Yi and US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan had candid, substantive, and fruitful talks in Bangkok, Thailand’s capital, during which problems involving Taiwan were discussed.
In recent years, Beijing and Washington have fought on a variety of issues, including technology and trade, human rights, the self-ruled island, and competing claims in the South China Sea.
In November, US President Joe Biden met with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in San Francisco to restore some of the worst relations in decades. Both sides regarded the meeting as a qualified success.
In a statement, China’s foreign ministry said, “Wang and Sullivan had candid, substantive and fruitful strategic communication on implementing the consensus reached at the San Francisco meeting… and on properly handling important and sensitive issues in China-US relations”.
The two-day talk covered a variety of subjects, including the recent elections.
In the run-up to the election, Chinese officials condemned President-elect Lai Ching-te as a dangerous separatist who would lead Taiwan down the evil path of independence.
However, Washington congratulated Lai, while Beijing said it strongly deplored the statement.
During the most recent talks, Wang emphasized that Taiwan was China’s internal affair, and the regional election in Taiwan cannot change the basic reality that Taiwan is part of China.
“The biggest risk to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is the so-called ‘Taiwan independence’ movement. The biggest challenge to China-US relations is also the ‘Taiwan independence’ movement”, the statement reads.
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