Top Chinese diplomat visiting Washington amid tensions between Beijing, DC

China’s top diplomat will visit Washington, D.C., on Thursday, in the latest sign of improving communications between the superpowers after months of rising tensions.

The meeting comes three weeks ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco, where President Biden and President Xi Jinping may meet.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is set to visit with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and national security adviser Jake Sullivan on a variety of issues, including the Israel-Hamas war, the Russia-Ukraine war and a recent vessel collision in the South China Sea, The Associated Press reported.

Wang’s trip to D.C. follows Blinken’s visit to Beijing in June.

According to Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning, in meetings this week, Wang wants to clarify China’s position on its relationship with the U.S. and its “legitimate concerns.”

China hopes to “jointly push the bilateral relationship back to the track of sound and stable development,” Mao said.

Upon Wang’s arrival, it’s likely that American officials will urge China to be more constructive in the Middle East, the AP reported. Blinken previously spoke with Wang about the importance of deterring other parties from entering the Israel-Hamas war.

Following Blinken’s visit to China over the summer, the State Department said he discussed areas of potential cooperation, along with US concerns about human rights abuses, reports of Chinese spy facilities in Cuba and China’s “unfair and nonmarket economic practices.”

“The Secretary raised concerns about PRC human rights violations in Xinjiang, Tibet, and Hong Kong, as well as individual cases of concern. He emphasized that the United States will always stand up for our values,” said a readout from State Department spokesman Matthew Miller.

“The two sides underscored that the United States and China should work together to address shared transnational challenges, such as climate change, global macroeconomic stability, food security, public health, and counter-narcotics.”