Hawaii talks: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to meet China’s top diplomat Yang Jiechi on Wednesday
- Date has been fixed for meeting, according to source, but Beijing says only that the two sides have maintained communication
- Tensions have escalated between the two powers, but in recent days Chinese state media focus has shifted to improving relations
Top Chinese and US diplomats are expected to meet face-to-face in Hawaii on Wednesday, according to a source familiar with the arrangements, as the two countries try to dial down tensions in the relationship.
China’s foreign ministry has not confirmed the meeting, but spokesman Zhao Lijian on Monday said communications were continuing between the two sides.
“China and the United States have maintained communication in diplomatic channels,” Zhao said at a regular briefing in Beijing, in response to a query about the meeting, without elaborating.
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Ahead of the planned meeting in Hawaii, Pompeo is expected to hold a videoconference on Monday with European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and the foreign ministers of the EU’s 27 member states. China is expected to be high on the agenda.