Chinese leader Xi and US National Security Advisor Sullivan discussed in Beijing

(Patria) - Chinese leader Xi Jinping met on Thursday with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan after he concluded a three-day visit aimed at keeping communication open in relations that have become increasingly tense in recent years, AP reported.

Sullivan, on his first trip to China as President Joe Biden's top national security advisor, had earlier met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and a top general from the Central Military Commission.

Starting with a trade war dating back to 2018, China and the US have clashed over a range of issues, from global security, such as China's claims in the South China Sea, to industrial policy for the production of electric vehicles and solar panels.

Sullivan's trip this week aims to prevent tensions from escalating into conflict.

"We believe that competition with China does not have to lead to conflict or confrontation. The key is responsible management through diplomacy," he said at a press conference before leaving Beijing.

Both governments are eager to keep relations on an even keel ahead of a US presidential transition in January. They said they remain committed to managing the relationship, following a meeting between Xi and Biden in San Francisco last November.

"While major changes have occurred in the two countries and in Sino-US relations, China's commitment to stable, healthy, and sustainable Sino-US relations remains unchanged," Xi said.

"President Biden is committed to responsibly managing this consequential relationship to ensure that competition does not spill over into conflict or confrontation, and to work together where our interests align," Sullivan said.

The two countries agreed to work on a phone call between Xi and Biden in the coming weeks, and Sullivan hinted that they might meet in person at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit or the Group of 20 later this year.

"It is likely that both will be there, and if they are, it would be natural for them to have an opportunity to sit down with each other," he said.

The meeting between Xi and Sullivan also touched on the issue of US citizens detained in China, Taiwan, and the conflict between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea.

They also discussed China's support for Russia, as a recent US assessment showed the country exporting technology that Russia is using to produce missiles, tanks, and other weapons. They also discussed efforts to end the war in Ukraine, but Sullivan said they had not made any progress on that issue.

Sullivan said an agreement to talk between military commanders in the Indo-Pacific region was a "very positive outcome" of his meetings and that they hope to deepen communication between the two militaries so it can be passed on to whoever succeeds Biden as president.

Sullivan also met yesterday morning with one of China's vice chairmen of the Central Military Commission, General Zhang Youxia, a rare meeting with a visiting US official.

Zhang said the reunification of Taiwan with the mainland is the military's "mission and responsibility," according to a statement from China's Ministry of Defense.

"China demands that the United States stop military collusion between the US and Taiwan, stop arming Taiwan, and stop spreading false narratives about Taiwan," the statement said, without explaining what false narratives were.

Sullivan said it is "rare that we have the opportunity for this kind of exchange" and emphasized "the need to responsibly manage US-China relations."