National Security Council Notes: Susan Rice’s Meetings in Beijing, China

The following statement was issued today by National Security Council spokesperson Ned Price.

National Security Advisor Susan E. Rice met with senior Chinese officials in Beijing, China on July 25 to prepare for President Obama’s visit to China in early September and to discuss bilateral, regional, and global issues of mutual interest.  This was Ambassador Rice’s fourth visit to China as National Security Advisor. 

Ambassador Rice held candid, in-depth, and strategic conversations with State Councilor Yang Jiechi. They agreed that bilateral cooperation stands at unprecedented levels and affirmed the need to build on past gains, including by working together to strengthen the global humanitarian system, support sustainable development, and spur global action on climate change. They prepared the substance of the President’s trip to China both for his bilateral meetings and the G20 Leaders' Summit. They reiterated their agreement on the shared goal of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Ambassador Rice and State Councilor Yang agreed on the importance of managing differences constructively, and, in that context, Ambassador Rice outlined U.S. views on human rights, maritime issues, and the treatment of U.S. businesses and non-governmental organizations operating in China.

Ambassador Rice also met with Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Fan Changlong. They expressed appreciation for the important role of military-military relations as a valuable element of the overall relationship and acknowledged the stabilizing role that bilateral confidence-building measures play in reducing the risk of unintended incidents. In her meeting with Central Politics and Law Commission Secretary Meng Jianzhu, Ambassador Rice underscored the importance of abiding by the cyber commitments reached by President Obama and President Xi Jinping last September and discussed human rights as well as security issues of mutual concern. 

In Ambassador Rice's fruitful meeting with President Xi, they noted with satisfaction the substantial progress in the development of bilateral relations through deepened cooperation in areas of overlapping interest and agreed on the value of forthright and constructive management of our differences. Ambassador Rice affirmed that the United States is committed to deepening our bilateral relationship, including through the President’s visit in September. 

 

Source: The White House, Office of the Press Secretary