The United States and China in talks on Friday

Washington: The United States and China will hold talks in Washington on Friday at the highest level on diplomacy and security.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, Chinese politburo member Yang Jiechi and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe will participate in the negotiations, the US State Department said in a statement. communicated.

China said last month that the two sides initially agreed "in principle" to hold the second round of diplomatic talks on security in October, but that they were postponed at Washington's request in November. because of rising tensions over trade, Taiwan and the South China Sea.

Mattis was scheduled to hold talks with Wei in Beijing in October, but those plans were overturned after Washington imposed sanctions on the Chinese People's Liberation Army for buying weapons from Russia.

Mattis met Wei in Singapore on October 18 and told him that the world's two largest economies needed to deepen their relationship at the highest level to reduce the risk of conflict.

Reuters