BEIJING (AP) — The United States and China are working to ensure the competition between them does not veer into conflict, a top White House official said Tuesday as the two sides started talks on a relationship that has been severely tested during President Biden’s term in office. Jake Sullivan, the U.S. national security adviser, is meeting over two days with Wang Yi, a senior foreign policy official for Chinese leader Xi Jinping, in a scenic lake area on the northern outskirts of Beijing

The purpose of Sullivan’s visit, which ends on Thursday, is to reestablish communication after a year-long breakdown in 2022-23. While no major announcements are expected, his meetings may pave the way for a final summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping before Biden’s departure in January.

Wang, director of the Communist Party’s Central Foreign Affairs Commission Office, stated that the relationship between China and the United States has taken several turns in recent years. “The key,” he told me, “is to keep to the overall direction of mutual respect, peaceful co-existence and win-win cooperation.”