US and China Officials Meet Briefly in Saudi Arabia Amidst Ukraine Conflict Resolution Talks That Excluded Russia

White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan speaks during the daily press briefing at the White House in Washington, on July 7, 2023. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Senior U.S. officials briefly met with a Chinese envoy in Saudi Arabia during a summit about ending the war in Ukraine that excluded Russia.

U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan and acting Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland met with China’s special envoy for Eurasia Li Hui, said U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller on Aug. 7.

Mr. Miller did not provide any details of the meeting.

But he described China’s participation in the summit as “productive.”

“We have long said that it would be productive for China to play a role in ending the war in Ukraine, if it was willing to play a role that respected Ukraine’s territorial integrity and Ukraine’s sovereignty,” Mr. Miller said.

The summit held on Aug. 5-6 in the Saudi Arabian port city of Jeddah was the second meeting after a similar event was held in Copenhagen earlier this summer that aimed to draft key principles to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed senior officials from 42 countries at the Jeddah talks about his 10-point peace plan to end the conflict.

Media delegates watch Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky addressing the Arab League Summit in Jeddah on May 19, 2023.  Fayez Nureldine/AFP via Getty Images

China is said to support a third round of talks to find a framework for peace in Ukraine after the summit.

During the summit, Chinese officials again presented Beijing’s 12-point plan for a cease-fire and peace talks to end the war. European diplomats countered that an unconditional ceasefire would likely only freeze the conflict and allow Russia to consolidate its grip on Ukrainian territory that it has occupied.

China first proposed its peace plan in February this year, which called for a ceasefire and peace talks between Russia and Ukraine but did not ask Russia to withdraw its troops from Ukraine. Instead, it asked Western countries to lift sanctions against Russia.

Ukraine and Western countries rejected Beijing’s proposal.

Beijing has been trying to present itself as a peacemaker between Russia and Ukraine, but the West has questioned its position, which is not neutral, as it’s been supporting Russia.

Since Moscow invaded Ukraine last February, western countries have imposed sweeping sanctions on Russia.

The Chinese communist regime has refused to call it an invasion and has supported Moscow over the war. It has increased trade with Russia, providing it with an economic lifeline amid international sanctions, which has caused tension between Beijing and the West.

Amid Tensions Between US, China

The brief meeting between the two countries’ officials comes during increasing tensions between the United States and China with a recent example being the U.S. State Department criticizing Beijing on Aug. 6 over  Chinese naval ships obstructing and blocking Philippine ships in the South China Sea. It warned an attack on the Philippine Navy would prompt a response from the United States.

A Chinese Coast Guard ship allegedly obstructs the Philippine Coast Guard vessel Malabrigo as it provided support during a Philippine Navy operation near Second Thomas Shoal in the disputed South China Sea, June 30, 2023, in this handout image released July 5, 2023. Philippine Coast Guard/Handout via Reuters

Meanwhile, China and Russia also conducted a joint naval operation near Alaska last week. The U.S. military responded by dispatching four destroyers and a number of maritime patrol aircraft to monitor the 11 Chinese and Russian vessels.

A spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Washington said the joint patrol was not aimed at the United States.