Biden National Security Adviser Secretly Meets With China’s Top Diplomat in Malta

The meeting came as questions swirl around the durability of Xi Jinping’s political and military leadership after a second Chinese minister disappears.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan talks to reporters during a news conference in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on Sept. 5, 2023. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

National security adviser Jake Sullivan held an unscheduled meeting with China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, in Malta during the weekend, the White House said.

The meeting was part of the Biden administration’s efforts to reopen the high-level communication lines with China’s communist regime and manage bilateral ties that have deteriorated over a slew of issues, from trade to Taiwan.