Sullivan's visit important to carry out San Francisco summit consensus

United States National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan's plans to visit China next week, marking an important step for the two countries to carry out the consensus of the San Francisco summit last year, a leading official from the Foreign Ministry's Department of American and Oceania Affairs said on Sunday.

Sullivan will visit China from Tuesday to Thursday to hold a new round of China-U.S. strategic communication with Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who is also director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.

In Beijing next week, Wang will have an in-depth exchange of views with Sullivan on China-U.S. ties, sensitive issues and major international and regional hotspot issues.

The two sides will take stock of the progress made by the two countries in implementing the consensus reached at the San Francisco summit, and give full play to the more than 20 dialogue and communication mechanisms established and resumed in between.

At the talks, Beijing and Washington will "continue to discuss the strategic perception of China and the U.S., as well as the boundary between national security and economic activities", the unnamed ministry official said in a media briefing.

China will focus on expressing serious concerns, stating its position and making serious demands on matters such as the Taiwan question, its right to seek development and China's strategic security, the official added.

This will be Sullivan's first visit to China under his current title, and will also mark the first visit to China by a U.S. national security advisor in eight years.

The recent rounds of strategic communication between Wang and Sullivan are part of the consensus reached at the summit of the two heads of state in Indonesia's Bali in 2022.

Previously, Wang and Sullivan have three rounds of strategic communications in Vienna, Malta and Bangkok respectively.

The talks "were substantive and constructive, and achieved positive results", and "both sides agreed to further make good use of this channel of strategic communication", the ministry official said.

On overall China-U.S. relations, Beijing has always believed that "the competition between major countries does not solve the problems faced by the U.S. and the world", the ministry official said.

Regarding the situation in the Taiwan Strait, the official said the U.S. side must strictly observe the one-China principle and the provisions of the three landmark China-U.S. joint communiqués, and carry out its commitment of not supporting "Taiwan independence".

Washington has continued to take unreasonable measures against China in terms of tariffs, export controls, investment reviews and unilateral sanctions.

China asks the U.S. to "stop politicizing and securitizing economic and trade issues" and "take more measures to facilitate people-to-people exchanges between the two countries", the official said.

Beijing will also urge Washington to fulfill its responsibility as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and "play a constructive role in the political settlement of current major and prominent international and regional issues, rather than the other way round," the official said.

Responding to a question on Ukraine, the official said China's position is clear and candid, and it will continue to promote peace and talks, push for a political settlement and carry out mediation-based diplomacy.

"The U.S. side should stop arbitrarily imposing unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction, and stop smearing, framing, pressurizing and blackmailing China," the official said.

On the South China Sea issue, the official emphasized that countries in the region are fully confident, knowledgeable and capable of handling the South China Sea issue, and that "countries outside the region should refrain from doing things that provoke confrontation and heighten tensions".

Speaking about the situation in Gaza, the official said it is imperative that all parties to the conflict must effectively implement the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and create conditions for the realization of a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire in Gaza as soon as possible, for which the international community should form a united joint effort.

"It is hoped that the U.S. side will listen to the voices of the majority of the international community and take a responsible stance," the official said.