CHINA-US: STRATEGIC & ECONOMIC DIALOGUE
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The South China Sea, cyber security and human rights are to be high on the U.S. agenda at the annual U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue (S&ED) to be held in Washington next week. U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue (S&ED) next week will be chaired on the U.S. side by Secretary of State John Kerry and Treasury Secretary Jack Lew, while China's delegation will be led by State Councilor Yang Jiechi and Vice Premier Wang Yang. While US Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Russel said these issues will be raised throughout the talks from Monday to Wednesday, China has indicated a desire to avoid acrimony at the talks as it looks to set the scene for a successful visit to Washington by Chinese President Xi Jinping in September. Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Zheng Zeguang told a forum in Beijing on Friday that China would seek to "constructively handle and control" differences with the United States on maritime disputes, cyber security, and human rights and that "On these issues our attitude is to not evade and to resolutely defend China's interests."
Russel also said the maritime disputes in the South China Sea were "not fundamentally" between the United States and China and that the United States had "an unwavering determination ... to avoid military confrontation, including with China." He added that "It's an issue of China's future and of China's choices.”
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