US Vice President Kamala Harris meets China's Xi Jinping, calls for 'open lines of communication'

The US Vice President met China's President this week and told Beijing that Washington is keen to 'maintain open lines of communication' between the two countries.

World

1 min read

The New Arab Staff & Agencies

19 November, 2022

Harris convened an emergency session at a key APEC meeting on Friday following North Korea's missile launch [source: Getty]

US Vice President Kamala Harris on Saturday met briefly with Chinese President Xi Jinping, a White House official said.

"The Vice President noted a key message that President Biden emphasized in his November 14 meeting with President Xi: we must maintain open lines of communication to responsibly manage the competition between our countries," the official said.

Chinese state broadcaster CCTV confirmed the meeting later in the morning.

Xi Jinping said the meeting with President Biden in Bali, Indonesia, was strategic and constructive, and had important guiding significance for the next stage of China-US relations, according to the broadcaster's official readout of the meeting.

"It is hoped that the two sides will further enhance mutual understanding, reduce misunderstanding and misjudgment, and jointly promote China-US relations to return to a healthy and stable track."

US relations with China were severely strained over the summer following Nancy Pelosi’s trip to the Tawian, which Beijing views as an renegade province.

[Reuters]