The United States and China are planning to ease tensions by having high-level officials meet in Bangkok, Thailand. Officials from both China and the United States said that their foreign ministers, Wang Yi and Jake Sullivan, would meet.
The exact time of their talks wasn’t made public, but both are set to be in the Thai capital starting Friday to meet with Thai officials separately.
Adrienne Watson, a spokesperson for the National Security Council, said that the meeting “continues the commitment by both sides at the November 2023 Woodside Summit between President Biden and President Xi to maintain strategic communication and responsibly manage the relationship.”
It was thought that the summit meeting would help mend relations that had become tense because of disagreements over a number of economic and geopolitical problems. Wang Wenbin, a spokesman for China’s foreign ministry, stated that Wang Yi does plan to meet with Sullivan.
Tensions in the Red Sea are a current worry for both countries. These tensions have slowed down global trade by making many shippers avoid the Suez Canal.
China has been in “close communication with all parties involved and making positive efforts to de-escalate” the conflict, Wang Wenbin, a spokesman for China’s Foreign Ministry, said Wednesday. During the conflict, Houthi rebels backed by Iran have fired missiles at international ships. Reports say that Washington has asked Beijing to use its power with Iran to stop the strikes. A top Chinese diplomat went to North Korea a few days before the meeting.
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The United States and China both say that Sullivan and Wang are having different talks with Thai officials. Beijing has been showing off its political and economic power around the world in recent years, and Washington is competing with Beijing for power in Thailand, which has been a U.S. ally for a long time.
The last day of Sullivan’s visit is planned for Saturday. On Friday, he paid Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin a courtesy call and then met with Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara, according to the Thai foreign ministry.
At the talks, both sides reaffirmed their dedication to the long-standing treaty alliance between the two countries, which is based on shared ideals of democracy, human rights, and safety for all people, according to a Thai statement.
The statement added that the talks also touched on “ways to further enhance partnership both at the bilateral and regional levels across diverse fields.” and talk about the problems going on in Myanmar, Ukraine, and the Middle East on a regional and international level.
The Thai foreign ministry said that Wang Yi will sign a deal that doesn’t require Thai citizens to get visas to visit China with his counterpart on Saturday. On Monday, he will meet with the prime minister.
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