Top Biden aide, Chinese military brass clash on Taiwan in Beijing talks

A senior Chinese military official warned the United States to stop "collusion" with Taiwan while top White House aide Jake Sullivan stressed the importance of stability in the tense Strait in a rare one-on-one meeting Thursday, both sides said.

Sullivan arrived in Beijing on Tuesday, the first U.S. national security advisor to visit China since 2016, for three days of talks with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and other high-ranking officials.

The visit came as China became embroiled in security rows with U.S. allies Japan and the Philippines.

On Thursday morning, Sullivan met with senior Chinese army chief Zhang Youxia at the Beijing headquarters of the Central Military Commission.

"It's rare that we have the opportunity to have this kind of exchange," Sullivan told Zhang in opening remarks.

The two officials agreed to hold a call between the two sides' theatre commanders "in the near future", a readout from the White House added.

Sullivan also raised the importance of "freedom of navigation" in the South China Sea, where Beijing and Manila have clashed in recent months, and "stability" in the Taiwan Strait, Washington said.

Zhang, in turn, warned that the status of the self-ruled island was "the first red line that cannot be crossed in China-U.S. relations".

"China has always been committed to maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait," he said, according to a readout by Beijing's defence ministry.

"But 'Taiwan independence' and peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait are incompatible," he said.

"China demands that the U.S. halts military collusion with Taiwan, ceases arming Taiwan, and stops spreading false narratives related to Taiwan," Zhang added.

'Destabilizing...