High-ranking U.S. officials will pay a visit to China on Tuesday in an attempt to improve relations worsened by President Barack Obama”s meeting with Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama and arms sales to Taiwan.
James Steinberg, U.S. deputy secretary of state, and Jeffrey Bader, senior director for Asian affairs at the US National Security Council, will arrive in Beijing to “exchange opinions with the Chinese side over matters related to Chinese-US relations,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said.
Relations between the two states have been marred by a U.S. decision to sell $6.4 billion worth weapons to de facto independent Taiwan, which China considers part of its territory. China has threatened to suspend military ties with the U.S. and impose sanctions against the arms exporters.
China also accused the United States of violating international norms and spoiling bilateral relations after Obama received Dalai Lama at the White House on February 18.
Chinese political experts are pessimistic about the outcome of the visit.
