China Not Ruling Out Discussion of North Korea, South China Sea With US

Member of the Chinese State Council Yang Jiechi might discuss with US senior officials issues related to North Korean threat and rivalry in the South China Sea, as well as a potential meeting between the leaders of the two countries, during his two-day visit to the United States, China's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang said Monday.

BEIJING (Sputnik) — The visit will take place at the invitation of the US administration, and Yang will be the first senior Chinese official to visit the United States under Donald Trump's presidency.

"As regards the discussion of those issues [related to the South China Sea, North Korea], as I have already said, the sides will exchange views on bilateral relations and issues of mutual interest," Geng said at a briefing.

"Chairman Xi Jinping and President Trump have recently held a telephone conversation during which they agreed to maintain close contacts and expressed hope to meet soon," Geng reminded, adding that the US and Chinese working groups were constantly exchanging contacts.

Last week, Chinese media reported that Xi and Trump might hold a meeting on the sidelines of the Group of 20 (G20) summit in Germany in July.

Trump held his first telephone conversation with Xi on February 9. The two presidents discussed a number of issues, including bilateral economic relations and various regional issues.