In upcoming talks, US diplomat Wendy Sherman to seek ‘guardrails’ with China to manage competition and avoid conflict
- US sees the meetings in Tianjin as an opportunity to set parameters for the relationship at large
- ‘Stiff and sustained competition’ is embraced as long as playing field is even, US officials say
The United States views upcoming high-level meetings between American and Chinese diplomats as an opportunity to prevent growing bilateral tensions devolving into misunderstandings and even conflict, senior US officials said on Saturday.
Following visits to allies in East Asia, US deputy secretary of state Wendy Sherman will arrive in Tianjin on Sunday for talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and foreign vice-minister Xie Feng.
Sherman plans to tell her counterparts that the US welcomes “stiff and sustained competition” with China, but that “everyone needs to play by the same rules and on a level playing field”, a senior administration official told reporters during a background briefing.
“She’s going to underscore that we do not want that stiff and sustained competition to veer into conflict,” the official continued. “This is why the US wants to ensure that there are guardrails and parameters in place to responsibly manage the relationship.”
