U.S., Chinese Officials Discuss Future Talks Between Biden and Xi

Senior American and Chinese officials meeting in Beijing discussed plans for a call between President Biden and China’s top leader, Xi Jinping, as well as talks between their military commanders in the region, as the two countries work to stabilize relations.

The White House said in a statement after the talks on Wednesday that the countries were “planning for a leader-level call in the coming weeks.”

Jake Sullivan, President Biden’s national security adviser, and Wang Yi, China’s top foreign policy official, met for nearly 11 hours on Tuesday and Wednesday along with their aides, the fifth round of negotiations in less than 18 months between the two top officials.

The Biden administration has sought to smooth over tensions with China while continuing to turn up the pressure on China by curbing its access to the U.S. economy and technology. The meetings between Mr. Sullivan and Mr. Wang, following talks between Mr. Biden and Mr. Xi last November in California, are also aimed at showing that the rival powers can manage their differences.

Mr. Sullivan and Mr. Wang met at a lakefront resort in the mountains on the northern outskirts of Beijing, near the Great Wall.

One big question in the discussions is whether or when the two leaders might talk in the coming months. They are running out of time to schedule the next meeting as Mr. Biden is preparing to leave office in January.