Wendy Sherman, the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, will visit Tianjin on July 25 and 26. She will become the most senior American official to visit China since President Biden took office, and the highest-ranked U.S. representative to have a face-to-face discussion with Chinese counterparts since the acrimonious encounter in Anchorage, Alaska, in March.
In a statement on Wednesday, the US State Department said the discussions were part of “ongoing US efforts to hold candid exchanges with PRC officials to advance US interests and values and to responsibly manage the relationship”.
“The deputy secretary will discuss areas where we have serious concerns about PRC actions, as well as areas where our interests align,” it said, referring to the People’s Republic of China.
The Chinese foreign ministry said Xie Feng, a vice-minister in charge of US affairs, would also meet with Sherman during her visit on Sunday and Monday.
“China will make clear to the United States its position on the development of Sino-US relations and its firm attitude in safeguarding its sovereignty, security and development interests, and demand that the United States stop interfering in China‘s internal affairs and harming China’s interests,” the ministry said in a statement.
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the upcoming meetings had been proposed by the US side.
On Wednesday, foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said China and the US should work together on climate change.
“As the largest developing country and the largest developed country, China and the US bear common responsibilities and are supposed to strengthen communication and cooperation to be an example for the world,” Zhao said.