U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan made a diplomatic visit to China on August 27, 2024, lasting three days. During this visit, he met with several Chinese officials, most notably Foreign Minister Wang Yi, in an effort to ease the tensions between China and the United States, which have escalated in recent months ahead of the U.S. presidential election scheduled for November 2024.
Sullivan’s visit to China came at a time when U.S.-China relations were increasingly strained on multiple fronts. Since President Joe Biden took office in January 2021, the U.S. foreign policy under the Democratic administration has maintained intense competition with China in areas such as trade, technology, and national security, while attempting to avoid an open military conflict. Meanwhile, Beijing has continued to bolster its influence in the Indo-Pacific region and expand its military program, heightening tensions with the United States and its Asian allies.
Sullivan’s visit followed a series of high-level exchanges between U.S. and Chinese officials that have kept communication channels open between Washington and Beijing, even as their disputes grow. The intensification of these issues could lead to further international and regional consequences in the Indo-Pacific, an area of growing interest to many global and Asian powers.
Sullivan’s Agenda
Jake Sullivan’s meeting with Wang Yi is seen as a continuation of U.S. efforts to stabilize bilateral relations, manage strategic competition, and reduce the risks of miscalculation between the U.S. and China. The key issues on Sullivan’s agenda during his visit to China were as follows:
Addressing Chinese Threats to Taiwanese Sovereignty: Taiwan was a central topic during Sullivan’s discussions with Chinese officials, especially given the increasing U.S. military support for Taiwan and President Biden’s administration’s departure from the long-standing “strategic ambiguity” and “One China” policies that had governed U.S. stance on the China-Taiwan conflict for decades. Washington views Taiwan as a democratic partner and a significant ally in the Indo-Pacific, while Beijing considers Taiwan a breakaway province and has not ruled out the use of military force to reunify it with mainland China. Taiwan remains a major point of tension between the U.S. and China, with Beijing demanding that Washington respect its sovereign claims and halt its military support for Taiwan. Many analysts believe that Taiwan is the issue most likely to trigger a military conflict between the U.S. and China, which would have significant global and regional repercussions. In this context, a White House statement on August 28, 2024, noted that during Sullivan’s meeting with the Chinese Foreign Minister, he emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
Resumption of Military and Political Communications: Given the complexity of the disputes between the U.S. and China and their desire to manage strategic competition amidst intertwined interests and fears of the conflict spiraling out of control, both nations aim to continue military and diplomatic communications to reduce the risk of miscalculations that could lead to military confrontation. A key outcome of Sullivan’s visit was the agreement to resume military communications, which had been suspended due to rising tensions. Establishing direct communication lines between U.S. and Chinese military leaders is seen as essential to prevent accidental conflicts, especially in sensitive areas such as the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea. After what were described as “objective and constructive” discussions in Beijing between the U.S. National Security Advisor and the Chinese Foreign Minister, the White House announced on August 28, 2024, that President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping plan to have a phone call in the coming weeks. This effort to enhance strategic stability reflects the mutual acknowledgment by both countries of the risks inherent in their current competitive stance.
Easing Chinese Concerns Over U.S. Tariffs and Restrictions: In recent years, trade relations between China and the United States have deteriorated, with the latter seeking to pressure Beijing into adopting fairer and more transparent trade policies, particularly concerning intellectual property rights protection and foreign investment laws. China, on the other hand, wants to see the removal of tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, which have significantly harmed Chinese exports, leading both countries to engage in a tit-for-tat imposition of tariffs and economic sanctions. U.S. restrictions on Chinese tech companies and increasing tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and various other goods, part of the U.S. strategy to undermine China’s technological power, were key topics in the bilateral meetings between U.S. and Chinese officials in Washington and Beijing. U.S. senior officials defended these policies as part of their strategy to protect national security, not to undermine China’s rise. Sullivan’s visit provided an opportunity to address these economic disputes and explore ways to manage competition in a more organized and predictable manner. The U.S. may push China to change its trade policies and implement economic reforms, while China is likely to demand the lifting of tariffs and sanctions imposed on it.
Addressing the Fentanyl Crisis and Public Health Cooperation: Another critical issue raised during Sullivan’s visit to Beijing was U.S.-China cooperation in combating illicit drug trafficking, particularly fentanyl. Both the U.S. and China expressed their willingness to work together to tackle this crisis, which has led to significant loss of life in the United States. The smuggling of fentanyl from China to the U.S. remains a major issue of tension between Washington and Beijing, but it also represents a potential area where bilateral cooperation could yield positive results. In this regard, the White House announced on August 28 that National Security Advisor Sullivan discussed with the Chinese Foreign Minister the next steps to curb the flow of illicit synthetic drugs.
U.S.-China Cooperation on Climate Change: Climate change is another area where U.S.-China interests both intersect and conflict. As the world’s two largest emitters of carbon dioxide, Washington and Beijing face global pressure to lead efforts in combating climate change, though they differ on specific policies and commitments. Nonetheless, both countries recognize the importance of cooperating on environmental issues to achieve international climate goals. Accordingly, Sullivan and the Chinese Foreign Minister emphasized the importance of taking concrete steps to address the climate crisis and welcomed further discussions during the upcoming visit of the U.S. President’s Senior Advisor for International Climate Policy, John Podesta, to China.
Reaffirming U.S. Support for Allies in the Indo-Pacific: Security issues in the region were prominent during Sullivan’s visit to China and his meetings with senior Chinese government officials, at a time when Chinese military influence is growing in the South China Sea, tensions over Taiwan persist, and U.S. military activities in the region continue, all of which are of concern to both parties. In this context, Sullivan, during his meeting with the Chinese Foreign Minister, reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to defending its allies in the Indo-Pacific and expressed American concerns over China’s destabilizing actions against legitimate Philippine maritime operations in the South China Sea. According to a White House statement on August 28, 2024, both sides discussed their shared concerns regarding North Korea and Burma.
Criticizing China’s Support for Russia: The relationship between China and Russia, and China’s ongoing support for Moscow, is one of the issues that frustrates Washington, particularly as this support, from the U.S. perspective, has complicated the Ukrainian conflict and hindered U.S. and Western efforts to aid Kyiv. In this context, the White House statement on August 28, 2024, indicated that Sullivan expressed concerns during his meeting with the Chinese Foreign Minister over Beijing’s support for Russia’s defense industrial base and its impact on European and transatlantic security.
Common Ground
U.S.-China relations suffer from mutual distrust, which complicates efforts to reach common understandings. Both the U.S. and Chinese governments face internal pressure from hardliners who oppose making any concessions to the other side. These pressures make it difficult for both sides to take bold steps toward improving relations. Additionally, the priorities of the U.S. and China differ significantly on security, economic, and technological issues, making it challenging to find common ground between Washington and Beijing.
However, Sullivan’s visit to China represents an opportunity to stabilize and manage the complex relationship between the world’s two largest economies. While significant challenges remain, the willingness of the U.S. and China to engage in dialogue and explore areas of mutual interest is a positive step toward managing the intense strategic competition between Washington and Beijing. By focusing on communication, strategic stability, and cooperation on international issues, the U.S. and China can work toward a more constructive and sustainable bilateral relationship. This visit may not resolve all disputes, but it is an important step toward preventing conflicts and finding common ground in an increasingly interconnected world.
