United States: The United States has extended a formal invitation to China’s new Foreign Minister Mr. Wang Yi to visit Washington. The move is part of the ongoing efforts by officials from both nations to hold regular meetings amid intensifying competition between them.
The US State Department confirmed the invitation, stating that Washington expects Mr. Wang to accept it, but it did not specify a date for the visit. The offer had previously been extended to Mr. Wang’s predecessor, Mr. Qin Gang, who was ousted after just seven months in the position.
“In the meeting yesterday, we extended the invitation that had previously been made to the former Foreign Minister Mr. Qin Gang and made clear that that invitation did transfer over to Mr. Wang Yi,” State Department spokesperson Mr. Matthew Miller told reporters. The US officials had previously hosted senior Chinese diplomat Mr. Yang Tao at the State Department.
Mr. Wang had served as foreign minister prior to Mr. Qin, and before his re-appointment, he was the director of the Chinese Communist Party’s Foreign Affairs Commission Office, which he continues to hold even now.
US and Chinese officials have held several other high-profile meetings in recent months. US Treasury Secretary Ms. Janet Yellen and climate envoy Mr. John Kerry visited China in July 2023.
The US and China have been in conflict over various matters, such as trade, Taiwan’s status, China’s claims in the South China Sea, and the US’s efforts to counter the increasing Chinese influence in the Asia-Pacific region.
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