China's Foreign Ministry announced that Sullivan's visit comes at the invitation of Wang Yi, China's Foreign Minister and key political figure. The two officials plan to engage in in-depth discussions on China-U.S. relations, sensitive issues, and major international and regional topics.
China intends to prioritize three key areas- the Taiwan question, China's development rights, and strategic security concerns-during the talks. These issues, according to Wu Xinbo from Fudan University, represent the main points of U.S. containment measures against China. He suggests that addressing these matters is crucial for stabilizing and improving China-U.S. relations.
The visit is seen as a continuation of the dialogue initiated by the two countries' leaders in Bali in November 2022. Since then, Wang and Sullivan have held three rounds of strategic communications in various locations, yielding positive outcomes.
Chinese experts view this visit as an opportunity for Beijing to caution Washington against allowing domestic politics to overly influence foreign policy decisions, especially during the U.S. election cycle when China-related issues are often highlighted.
Lü Xiang, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, suggests that China may use this visit to convey a strong message: regardless of who leads the U.S. government, any violation of China's red lines will prompt firm countermeasures from Beijing.
Overall, the visit represents an effort by both nations to manage their differences and maintain dialogue during the remaining months of the current U.S. administration.
