Top Chinese And US Envoys’ Talks Pave Way For Xi, Trump Meeting

China and the US engaged in a flurry of high-level talks between their top diplomats and defense chiefs, smoothing the path for a potential meeting between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told his Chinese counterpart the US doesn’t seek conflict with Beijing nor is it pursuing regime change in a Tuesday call, according to a statement from the Pentagon. Admiral Dong Jun called for a stable and open relationship with the US in his first conversation with Hegseth, while warning any attempt to support Taiwan’s independence would fail, China’s Defense Ministry said in a statement. 

Hours later, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio — who was twice sanctioned by Beijing before taking office — spoke with China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi, emphasizing the importance of “open and constructive communication on a range of bilateral issues,” according to the US readout.

China’s top envoy evoked history by saying both nuclear armed nations once “fought side by side during World War II,” as he urged them to work together for world peace. Days earlier, Beijing held a military parade marking the end of that conflict, showing off missiles that could reach the US mainland as Xi hosted Russia’s Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un — who are both sanctioned by Washington.

Wang stressed the need for “head-of-state diplomacy” to manage differences, and told the US to “exercise caution” over Taiwan, the self-ruled island China considers its territory. The US side characterized both calls as “candid and constructive” and committed to further communication between the defense chiefs.

The talks come at a delicate time for ties between the world’s largest economies, with a 90-day truce holding back tariffs from sky-high levels until early November. Since returning to office Trump still hasn’t met with Xi in person, although in June the Chinese leader invited him to Beijing in a phone call, as they aimed to resolve disputes over trade.

Both leaders are expected to attend a summit in South Korea next month, providing one opportunity for a meeting. While Trump earlier this week told European officials he’s willing to impose sweeping new tariffs on China over its support for Russia, such a move would likely derail efforts for top-level talks that will be crucial to reaching any broader trade deal.

Rubio addressed global and regional issues during the call, as a continuation of his first in-person discussions with Wang in July in Kuala Lumpur, where the US envoy said a summit was possible. No mention was made of a leaders’ meeting this time around in the statements.

The two defense chiefs, who haven’t met in person, spoke via video link. Dong skipped a key defense forum in Singapore this year, which would have allowed for the first encounter between the two officials. At the Shangri-La Dialogue, Hegseth urged allies to invest more in defense due to the threat posed by Beijing, prompting a protest from the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Hegseth reassured his counterpart on Tuesday that the US isn’t aiming for the “strangulation” of China, while stressing America’s focus on the region. “He forthrightly relayed that the US has vital interests in the Asia-Pacific, the priority theater, and will resolutely protect those interests,” according to chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell.

Dong called for stability in the South China Sea, where Beijing has territorial claims that have seen it clash with US allies including the Philippines. China “firmly opposes acts of infringement or provocation by certain countries, as well as attempts by certain countries outside the region to stir trouble,” he said.

In a sign dialogue is continuing, the US defense attaché in Beijing will next week represent the Department of Defense at China’s top annual security gathering, the Xiangshan Forum, a department official said in a separate statement to Bloomberg.