WASHINGTON — U.S. officials said they aren’t seeking to build a broad anti-China coalition despite disagreements on a range of issues ahead of high-level talks in the city of Tianjin on Monday.
Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman’s meetings with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng come after a series of tit-for-tat actions between Washington and Beijing, including a U.S. warning to businesses about investing in Hong Kong and Chinese sanctions against a handful of private American citizens.
Sherman will raise concerns about areas where the U.S. believes China’s actions are violating international commitments or principles, including human rights in Hong Kong and Xinjiang, according to senior administration officials who briefed reporters on Saturday.
The officials said the Tianjin talks are a continuation of early high-level talks between the U.S. and China in Alaska at the start of the Biden administration, discussions which were marked by confrontational rhetoric on both sides. But the American officials said continued engagement at a senior level is needed to ensure responsible management of U.S.-China ties. The officials asked not to be identified because the meeting’s agenda isn’t public yet.
The U.S. officials also emphasized that they will seek areas of common ground with their Chinese counterparts, including on areas such as climate change. Sherman will be arriving in China after deadly flooding in the central province of Henan and is expected to offer her condolences for the loss of life and damage, U.S. officials said.
