Deputy Secretary Campbell’s Meeting with PRC Executive Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu

Deputy Secretary of State Kurt M. Campbell hosted People’s Republic of China (PRC) Executive Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu for an official visit in Washington on May 30, 2024. The candid and constructive discussion was part of ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communication between the United States and PRC and responsibly manage competition in the relationship. The Deputy Secretary emphasized that although the United States and PRC are in competition, both countries need to prevent miscalculation that could veer into conflict or confrontation. They discussed priorities in the bilateral relationship, and on regional and global issues, including areas of difference and areas of cooperation that matter most to the American people and the world. The Deputy Secretary and EVFM Ma discussed progress and implementation of commitments made by President Biden and President Xi at the Woodside Summit in November on advancing counternarcotics cooperation, military-to-military communication, talks on artificial intelligence risks and safety, and people-to-people exchanges.

The Deputy Secretary underscored the United States’ strong concerns regarding the PRC’s destabilizing actions around Taiwan and in the Taiwan Strait that erode the status quo that has maintained regional peace and stability for decades. He raised U.S. serious concerns about PRC support to Russia’s defense industrial base undermining European security, and the PRC’s destabilizing actions in the East China Sea and South China Sea, including at Second Thomas Shoal. The two sides discussed the DPRK and the need to avoid further escalation in the Middle East. He raised concerns about PRC human rights abuses, including in Hong Kong. He underscored that it remains a U.S. priority to resolve the cases of U.S. citizens wrongfully detained or subject to coercive exit bans in the PRC. The Deputy Secretary reiterated that the United States will continue to stand up for our interests and values and those of our allies and partners.

Both sides reaffirmed the importance of maintaining open channels of communication at all times and committed to continue diplomacy and consultations in the United States and the PRC in the period ahead.