China's top diplomat heading to Washington ahead of potential Xi visit

(Patria) - China's top diplomat Wang Yi will travel to the United States later this week, senior Biden administration officials said, Reuters reported.

Wang will visit Washington from October 26 to 28 and meet with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and President Joe Biden's National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, officials said, declining to say whether he will also meet with Biden.

The trip will be the highest-level personal engagement ahead of an expected meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in San Francisco in November. It is also a long-awaited reciprocal visit after several top U.S. officials, including Blinken, visited Beijing this summer.

Washington's top priority has been to ensure intense competition between the world's two largest economies and that their disagreements over a range of issues from trade to Taiwan and the South China Sea do not escalate into conflict.

The visit also comes as Hamas's October 7 attacks and Israel's response dominate global headlines, even as Russia's war in Ukraine continues.

Washington is sending military aid to Israel and Ukraine, while Beijing has grown closer to Russia since the war in Ukraine began and calls for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

The war between Israel and Hamas and Russia's war in Ukraine will also be discussed, an official said, adding that the U.S. will "push the Chinese to take a more constructive approach in both cases."

Washington has placed importance on China's ability to influence Iran. Blinken, during his visit to the Middle East last week, had a phone call with Wang asking him to use Beijing's influence in the region to ensure the conflict does not spread.

Restoring military ties with China remains a top priority for the U.S., officials said, adding that this means continued communication down the ranks and that the apparent absence of China's defense minister will not be an obstacle. Defense Minister Li Shangfu has not been seen in public for nearly two months due to a corruption investigation.