US National Security Adviser Susan Rice was expected to land in Beijing yesterday, signaling that ties with China remain a priority despite turmoil and tensions tearing at US foreign policy.
Rice was expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) and other senior Chinese officials in talks which come two weeks after Washington accused a Chinese fighter jet of buzzing one of its spy planes.
The talks are likely to focus on key areas of contention between Washington and Beijing — including China’s maritime territorial disputes with Taiwan and US allies in the region, as well as a long-running computer hacking dispute between the two powers.
Rice is also to help set the table for a one-on-one summit between Obama and Xi, planned to coincide with the US leader’s visit to the APEC summit in Beijing in November.
The Obama-Xi summit could take place in an informal setting, following up on the meeting the two leaders held in California last year.
Obama and Xi could also come face-to-face at the UN General Assembly in New York later this month, though no meeting has been announced.
Rice’s visit is intended as a signal that despite being pulled into a new conflict in the Middle East against the Islamic State and being consumed by a showdown with Russia over Ukraine, Washington remains committed to its policy of reorienting US power to Asia.
“The administration remains committed to our rebalance to Asia and that includes close and continuing consultation with top Chinese leadership directly from the White House,” US National Security Council spokesman Patrick Ventrell said.
“The reality is that there are few global problems of the 21st century that will be solved without the US and China at the table, and as such, we believe it is important to maintain direct and close contact with Chinese leadership on a range of pressing issues,” he added.
Rice visits Beijing while other top US foreign policy officials, including US Secretary of State John Kerry, US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and the top White House counterterrorism advisor, Lisa Monaco, are fanning out across the Middle East to build a coalition to take on the Islamic State, formerly known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
The fact that Rice is to be in China at the same time is intended to demonstrate the importance that Obama attaches to ties with Beijing, a White House official said.
“In spite of all the rest that is going on, this remains a very high priority,” the official said.
Rice is officially the guest of Chinese State Councillor Yang Jiechi (楊潔篪), but as well as seeing Xi, is also expected to meet Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi (王毅) and other key officials.
She will be in Beijing after China told the US to end air and naval surveillance near its borders, which it said was damaging relations between the Pacific powers and could lead to “undesirable accidents.”
The latest irritant came when Washington said an armed Chinese fighter jet flew dangerously close last month to a US military aircraft, off Hainan Island over the South China Sea.
Rice may also take the opportunity to restate Washington’s support for democracy in Hong Kong, after Beijing bristled at its backing for protesters who are demanding universal suffrage in the territory.
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old