Sullivan Trip "Does Not Indicate Change In US Approach To China"

MNI London: Wires carrying comments from a senior US official on White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan's upcoming trip to China, expected to take place on August 27-29. The official confirms that Sullivan will meet with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during the trip.

• Official states that: "Sullivan's visit does not indicate any change in US approach to China." says Sullivan and Wang will discuss, "counternarcotics, China's support for Russia's defense industry, AI," and foreign policy issues including, "South China Sea, North Korea, Middle East and Myanmar."
• Official says the US, "will be looking to hear from China their assessment of what's going on in Middle East," and "Sullivan will push on resuming theater-level military-to-military talks with China."
• Reuters notes that the official said, "talks really about clearing up misperceptions and avoiding competition from veering into conflict," and the official, "expects Sullivan to raise concerns about China's increased military, diplomatic and economic pressure against Taiwan."
• Axios speculates that Sullivan's trip could, "lay the groundwork for a potential final meeting between President Biden and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, later this year, to follow up on their California summit last November."
• Sullivan's trip follows the senior-most meeting of US and Chinese officials within the U.S.-China Financial Working Group earlier this month. The working group, established after the Biden-Xi bilat, has kept some financial and economic lines of communication open, despite ongoing disagreements over industrial policy and tariffs.