The meeting between US national security advisor Jake Sullivan and top Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi comes at a time of “heightened tensions between the world’s two largest economies”, according to Reuters.
Sullivan and Jiechi will follow up on a September 9 phone call between Presidents Biden and Jinping, according to a White House statementExternal link, which added that the US objective is to “responsibly manage the competition” between the countries.
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What Switzerland can do about the US-China rivalry
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Rising tensions between the two powers pose a challenge to smaller countries on the sidelines that want to avoid getting caught in the middle.
President Biden has repeatedly said he does not want conflict with China, although various contentious issues persist, both economic and security, notably relating to Taiwan.
On Monday, the White House had criticised Beijing over several days of military activity in Taiwanese airspace. China, which claims ownership of the island, blames the US for increased tensions in the area.
As for what exactly is on the agenda in Zurich, this is not clear, although there has been rumours of an imminent presidential summit.
“I think the hope is that it will lead to a Biden-Xi Jinping meeting, which may have to be virtual,” Bonnie Glaser of the German Marshall Fund of the United States told Reuters.
Sullivan will travel to Brussels after the Zurich talks to meet NATO and EU officials, before going to Paris – the latest step in US diplomatic efforts to smooth relations after a cancelled submarine deal last month caused tensions with France.
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China slams Switzerland for ‘interfering in internal affairs’
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China has attacked Switzerland and 26 other countries for criticising a sweeping new national security law imposed on Hong Kong.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the four hours of talks with US President Joe Biden in Geneva had been constructive.
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If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.