NewSenior US, Chinese officials huddle in New York to manage differences and expand cooperation
John Kerry and Susan Rice meet with State Councillor Yang Jiechi
Secretary of State John Kerry and national security adviser Susan Rice held talks Tuesday with a senior Chinese official on managing differences and expanding cooperation between the two world powers.
A White House statement provided few details about the meeting with State Councilor Yang Jiechi in New York. National Security Council spokesman Ned Price said the two sides “reviewed progress in bringing about a more durable, stable and productive bilateral relationship.”
The Obama administration has forged cooperation with Beijing on issues such as climate change, but as it enters its final months in office, there are growing signs of strain in bilateral relations amid tensions in the South China Sea and provocations by China ally North Korea.
US officials said the low-key meeting was probably the last opportunity for extended, top-level discussions with China before a new US administration take office in January. Yang is a familiar Chinese interlocutor for Washington. He has also served as China’s foreign minister and ambassador to the US.
China’s embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.