Top Chinese, US officials hope for productive talks

Beijing meeting comes as Tokyo and Manila blame China for raising tensions in region

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and China's top diplomat Wang Yi said on Aug 27 that they were hoping for productive talks as they met in Beijing.

Washington allies Japan and the Philippines have blamed China in the past week for raising regional tensions, with Tokyo accusing Beijing of violating its airspace and Manila calling it the "biggest disruptor" of peace in South-east Asia.

Mr Sullivan said after he arrived in the Chinese capital on the afternoon of Aug 27 that he looked forward to "a very productive round of conversations" with Foreign Minister Wang.

"We'll delve into a wide range of issues, including issues on which we agree and those issues... where there are still differences that we need to manage effectively and substantively," he said.

Mr Wang told Mr Sullivan he was keen for "substantive" and "constructive" talks during his visit, the first to China by a US national security adviser since 2016.