WASHINGTON—U.S. and Chinese regime’s diplomatic and defense chiefs will meet Wednesday for a security dialogue that Washington says will focus on curbing North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs.
The talks in Washington will involve U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis as well as China’s top diplomat, State Councilor Yang Jiechi, and General Fang Fenghui, chief of state of the People’s Liberation Army, the U.S. State Department said.
It will be the inaugural session of the U.S.-China Diplomatic and Security Dialogue, a framework launched by President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping during a summit in Florida in April.
The State Department said the aim was “to expand areas of cooperation while narrowing differences on key diplomatic and security issues.”
U.S.-China ties have warmed since the April summit, in spite of continued U.S. concerns about China’s pursuit of territory in the South China Sea and a large trade imbalance.
Tillerson has said North Korea will top the agenda next week and made clear that Washington wanted more help from China in pressing Pyongyang to abandon its weapons programs, calling Chinese efforts so far “notable” but “uneven.”
