U.S. delegates in China discuss Taiwan and improvement of ties ahead of Blinken’s visit

The visit comes after Chinese leader Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden pledged to repair frayed relations at a summit in Bali

Relations have soured between the U.S. and China in recent years over a litany of issues, from human rights to trade and technology. File. | Photo Credit: Reuters

A senior U.S. delegation in China discussed ways to improve ties and the issue of Taiwan with their local counterparts, Beijing said on Monday, as they laid the groundwork for a planned visit by Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

The talks — involving top U.S. diplomat for East Asia Daniel Kritenbrink, National Security Council Senior Director for China and Taiwan Laura Rosenberger, and Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng — took place on Sunday and Monday in the northern province of Hebei, Beijing said.

The visit comes after Chinese leader Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden pledged to repair frayed relations at a summit in Bali, Indonesia last month.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on Monday that the two sides in Hebei "had in-depth discussions on implementing the consensus reached at the Bali Summit between the two presidents".

Mr. Wang said the meeting also touched on Taiwan, the self-ruled democratic island that China claims as its territory and an increasing source of friction between Beijing and Washington.

Xie, Kritenbrink and Rosenberger spoke on "strengthening exchanges at all levels" and "agreed to maintain communication", Mr. Wang said.

The State Department said last week that the visit would lay the groundwork for Secretary of State Blinken's visit to China in early 2023, the first visit by the top U.S. diplomat in four years.

Relations have soured between the U.S. and China in recent years over a litany of issues, from human rights to trade and technology.

In their Bali meeting, Mr. Xi and Mr. Biden discussed contentious issues, including Taiwan's future, U.S. restrictions on Chinese high-tech imports and Beijing's moves to expand its influence around the world.

Mr. Biden left the meeting proclaiming that there need not be a new Cold War, while Mr. Xi told Mr. Biden the two countries "share more, not less, common interests".