President Joe Biden is set to launch the next phase of his China policy with a push for high-level meetings with Beijing officials after five months of pursuing a hardline stance, reported the Financial Times.
The US and China are discussing a possible meeting between Antony Blinken, secretary of state, and Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi at a G20 meeting in Italy next week, according to three FT sources briefed on the talks.
The White House is considering a call with Xi Jinping, which would be Biden’s second engagement as US president with his Chinese counterpart.
“The administration from the very beginning planned to sequence its policies by [first] focusing on reinvigorating the US and getting control of the pandemic and rejuvenating our alliances and partnerships,” said Bonnie Glaser, a China expert at the German Marshall Fund. “Now they believe this is the time to turn to engagement, although they probably won’t call it that, and begin dialogue with China.”