If voted to power, Kamala Harris would ‘responsibly manage’ US-China ties, Sullivan assures Chinese top brass

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, who winded up his three-day trip to China on Thursday, assured China that Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris is committed to “responsibly managing” the ties between Washington and Beijing if she is voted to power in November.

According to a Financial Times report, Sullivan’s comments, following his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday, are meant to reassure Chinese policymakers that Harris would maintain a relationship with China similar to that of President Joe Biden, rather than adopting a more hostile stance.

After meeting Xi, Sullivan said that Harris “shares President Biden’s view that responsibly managing this competition so that it doesn’t veer into conflict or confrontation is essential”, added the report.

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“She also shares the view that maintaining high-level, open lines of communication is the way to achieve that responsible management,” Financial Times quoted Sullivan as saying.

Beijing has grown increasingly concerned about how the Harris administration might manage relations with China and who her key advisers would be.

Although Harris has had brief interactions with President Xi and Premier Li Qiang, her views on China are largely unclear.

She addressed the topic only once in her speech at last week’s Democratic convention, where she pledged to ensure “that America — not China — wins the competition for the 21st century.”

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“Vice-president Harris has been a central member of the Biden foreign policy team, a leading member,” Sullivan was quoted as saying, adding, “And has been part of the design and execution of the overall strategy in the Indo-Pacific."

Sullivan said he had “shared his experience” of the vice-president in his meetings with Chinese leaders this week. Apart from meeting Xi, Sullivan also had a rare discussion with a top Chinese military official and two days of talks with Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Sullivan said as part of his trip, he discussed various issues with the Chinese top brass including Taiwan, the South China Sea, Beijing’s support for Russia, and drug trafficking.

“These were constructive, candid, substantive conversations. We believe that keeping lines of communication open is critical,” FT quoted Sullivan as saying.

According to FT, citing Xinhua, Xi told Sullivan that Beijing and Washington must be “a stable source of world peace”. “China’s commitment to the goal of a stable, healthy and sustainable China-US relationship remains unchanged,” Xi was quoted as saying.

On Wednesday, Sullivan emphasised the importance of peace across the Taiwan Strait and reaffirmed the US commitment to Indo-Pacific allies, including the Philippines, amid South China Sea disputes.

Sullivan’s talks with Wang Yi in Beijing were part of a “strategic channel” to stabilise relations and discuss sensitive issues.

The White House has announced that President Biden and Xi plan to talk by phone soon and might meet in person before Biden’s term ends if they attend upcoming Apec or G20 meetings.

On Thursday, Sullivan also had an unusual meeting with General Zhang Youxia, who warned the US to cease military collusion with Taiwan and arms sales, and to stop spreading false narratives about Taiwan, reported FT, citing Xinhua.

With inputs from agencies