Ryan Woo, John Revill

ZURICH/BEIJING – U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met with Yang Jiechi, China’s top diplomat on Wednesday in Switzerland. The talks were intended to enhance communication despite a growing strategic rivalry as well as tensions about hotspots like Taiwan.

A source familiar with the Zurich talks said to Reuters that the meeting took place at an airport hotel in Zurich, where both Chinese and Western journalists were gathered.

It’s Sullivan’s first encounter with Yang face-to–face since the acrimonious exchanges that took place in March in Alaska.

According to the White House, this was a continuation of President Joe Biden’s call on Sept. 9, with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The call was the end of a seven-month-long gap between leaders. They also discussed how to prevent competition between them – their relations having fallen to the lowest point in many decades – from turning into conflict.

China’s foreign minister made a short statement Wednesday saying Yang and Sullivan “will exchange views on China-U.S. relationships and related issues” during the Zurich meeting.

Taiwan reports 148 Chinese Air Force planes operating in its southern and southwestern air defense zones. The reporting period spanned four days that began on Friday. It was also the day China celebrated National Day.

China was urged by the United States to cease its provocative military activities in Taiwan on Sunday

Biden stated Tuesday that he spoke to Xi regarding Taiwan, and they agreed not to renege on the Taiwan agreement. Tensions between Taipei (China) have escalated.

Biden was referring to Washington’s longstanding policy that recognizes Beijing and not Taipei.

According to the White House, Sullivan will visit Brussels as well as Paris for talks with NATO and European Union officials. He will inform Europeans about his meeting with Yang.

U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai is in Paris for Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development meeting.

Tai presented Monday the findings of a long-running “top-to bottom” examination of China’s trade policies. He pledged to have “frank” discussions with Beijing regarding Beijing’s failure to fulfill promises in Trump’s former trade agreement and to end its harmful industrial policies.

The Global Times, an official tabloid of China, stated that China would like to develop mutually-beneficial trade relationships with the United States. However, it will not concede on principle and won’t be afraid of a prolonged contest.

The China-U.S. Trade War has been ongoing for over three and a half years. China’s economy is not weakening, it has moved forward in comparison to that of the U.S.”