Report: US and China in Talks for Potential High-Level Meeting in Alaska

Beijing's top two diplomats could be part of the Chinese delegation

According to a report from The South China Morning Post, the US and China are currently in talks to organize a meeting between their top diplomats in Alaska in a bid to reset relations.

Sources told the Post that the Chinese delegation could include Yang Jiechi, the Communist Party official in charge of foreign affairs who is close to Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Foreign Minister Wang Yi. The two officials are Beijing’s top diplomats and would meet with their US counterparts.

Although the report didn’t specify, the two envoys would likely meet with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. If confirmed, the meeting place is expected to be in Anchorage, Alaska. The city was picked because it represents a halfway point between Washington and Beijing.

When asked about the potential summit, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki did not confirm a planned meeting in Alaska but did say US and Chinese diplomats have been “directly engaged.”

Since President Biden took office, Chinese officials have been calling to ease tensions with the US. In the wake of the Trump administration, US-China relations are at their lowest point in decades. But Biden administration officials have made clear confronting Beijing is still a priority.

Last week, Blinken labeled China as the “biggest geopolitical test of the 21st century.” He said the “challenge” posed by Beijing is different than any other nation because it threatens the US-led “international system.” Blinken has previously said that President Trump was right to take a “tougher” approach to China, and many of Trump’s policies are still in place.

When it comes to trade, Trump’s tariffs are still in effect, and Biden’s Commerce Department is using export blacklists left by the Trump Administration to prohibit US suppliers from doing business with certain Chinese firms. On the military side of things, US warships have continued to make provocative maneuvers to challenge Beijing in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait.

Biden’s Pentagon is currently reviewing its posture in Asia and its overall China policy with an eye on increasing its footprint in the region. US Indo-Pacific Command is seeking a $27 billion increase in funding between 2022 and 2027 to confront China in the region.

Author: Dave DeCamp

Dave DeCamp is the news editor of Antiwar.com, follow him on Twitter @decampdave.