National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan is scheduled to visit China next week to meet with Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Axios reported Friday, citing three sources familiar with the matter.

The announcement marks the first visit by a US national security advisor to China since 2016, although other high-ranking officials, such as Secretary of State Antony Blinken, have made trips to China over the past two years.

The news website pointed out that the visit is significant as it aims to set the stage for a possible follow-up meeting later this year between US President Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, following their summit in California last November.

Both Biden and Xi are expected to attend the G-20 leaders summit in Brazil after the US election in November.

Axios mentioned that Sullivan's visit, from August 27-29, comes as the US enters the critical final phase of a presidential campaign in which both major parties have adopted increasingly tough stances on China, particularly regarding tariffs.

It indicated that Vice President Kamala Harris has largely aligned with Biden’s approach to China in internal discussions, but foreign leaders remain interested in understanding the Democratic presidential nominee's specific foreign policy views.

On the Republican side, former President Donald Trump has proposed imposing 60% tariffs on all Chinese imports and has consistently portrayed China as a major economic threat, influencing a more aggressive stance from both parties toward Beijing.

During a rally in North Carolina on Wednesday, Trump claimed that China is "planning an attack on Taiwan right now," warning that "the world is on fire."

'Intensely competitive'

A senior US official noted that the Biden administration's ongoing engagement with China should not be seen as a softening of its stance, reaffirming that the US continues to view its relationship with China as "intensely competitive".

"We are committed to making the investments, strengthening our alliances, and taking the common steps on tech and national security that we need to take," the official told reporters speaking on customary condition of anonymity, referencing the comprehensive restrictions on US technology exports to China implemented under Biden's leadership.

However, she also underscored the administration's intent to manage this competition responsibly to prevent it from escalating into open conflict.

Taiwan remains a critical point of tension in US-China relations, with the US continuously supporting the island militarily and American politicians frequently flying to Taipei, while Beijing claims the US-backed self-governing island as its own and not ruling out the use of force to achieve "reunification".

"We're going to raise concern about the PRC's increased military, diplomatic and economic pressure in Taiwan," the administration official said, referring to the People's Republic of China.

"These activities are destabilizing, risk escalation, and we're going to continue to urge Beijing to engage in meaningful dialogue with Taipei," she added.

Moreover, the official mentioned that Sullivan would address rising tensions in the South China Sea, particularly between China and US ally the Philippines, as part of the broader discussion.

According to Axios, from the start of his presidency, Biden prioritized competition with China in key sectors like semiconductors while also emphasizing the importance of maintaining stable US-China relations.

Despite these intentions, relations have been strained by significant incidents, including then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan in 2022 and the Chinese balloon that crossed US airspace in early 2023.

Efforts to ease tensions included a meeting between Biden and Xi in California last November, where they agreed to restart a military-to-military communication line and collaborate on tackling issues like fentanyl trafficking, the news website highlighted.

Sullivan has met with Chinese officials in various locations such as Rome, Luxembourg, Vienna, and Bangkok, with the discussions spanning a wide range of topics from military relations to China’s role in West Asia and the ongoing war in Ukraine.

In August, a US economic delegation led by Brent Neiman, Assistant Secretary for International Finance at the Treasury Department, visited Beijing to touch on financial stability and global economic growth.

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has also helped establish two working groups aimed at improving economic communication and ensuring consistent dialogue between the two nations, according to Axios.

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