Chinese leader Xi meets US national security adviser as the two powers try to avoid conflict

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese leader Xi Jinping met with U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan on Thursday as the latter wound up a three-day visit with the stated aim of keeping communications open in a relationship that has become increasingly tense in recent years.

Sullivan, on his first trip to China as the main adviser to President Joe Biden on national security issues, earlier met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and a top general from the Central Military Commission.

Starting with a trade war that dates back to 2018, China and the United States have grown at odds over a range of issues, from global security, such as China’s claims over the South China Sea, to industrial policy on electric vehicle and solar panel manufacturing. Sullivan’s trip this week is meant to keep the tensions from spiraling into conflict.

“We believe that competition with China does not have to lead to conflict or confrontation. The key is responsible management through diplomacy,” he told reporters at a news conference shortly before leaving Beijing.

Both governments are eager to keep relations on an even keel ahead of a change in the U.S. presidency in January. They said they remain committed to managing the relationship, following up on a meeting between Xi and Biden in San Francisco last November.

“While great changes have taken place in the two countries and in China-U.S. relations, China’s commitment to the goal of a stable, healthy and sustainable China-U.S. relationship remains unchanged,” Xi said.

“President Biden is committed to responsibly managing this consequential relationship to ensure that competition does not veer into conflict or confrontation, and to work together where our interests align,” Sullivan said.

The two countries agreed to work toward a phone call between Xi and Biden in the coming weeks, and Sullivan indicated the two could meet in person at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation or Group of 20 summits later this year.

“The likelihood is they’ll both be there and if they are, it would only be natural for them to have the chance to sit down with one another,” he said.

Xi and Sullivan’s meeting also touched on the issues of American citizens detained in China, on Taiwan and also on the clashes between the China and Philippines in the South China Sea.

The two also discussed China’s support for Russia, as a recent U.S. assessment found that the country was exporting technology that Russia uses to manufacture missiles, tanks and other weaponry. They also discussed efforts to end the Ukraine war, but Sullivan said they did not make any progress on that issue.

Sullivan said an agreement to have a call between the military commanders in the Indo-Pacific region was a “very positive outcome” of his meetings and that they hope to deepen military-to-military communication so it can be passed on to whoever succeeds Biden as president.

The decades-old issues surrounding Taiwan have taken renewed prominence as the island’s ties with China become increasingly strained over Beijing's claims that Taiwan is part of China.

Taiwan, a self-governing island that split from communist China in 1949, has rejected Beijing’s demands that it accept unification with the mainland. The U.S. is obligated under a domestic law to provide the island with sufficient hardware and technology to deter invasion.

Danny Russel, a vice president at the Asia Society Policy Institute in New York and who served on the national security council in the Obama administration, said the meeting between Sullivan and Xi was particularly important because Sullivan was seen by the Chinese leadership as “a direct extension” of the U.S. president and that Sullivan’s messaging was viewed as “coming straight from Biden.”

Sullivan also met one of China’s vice chairs of the Central Military Commission, Gen. Zhang Youxia, on Thursday morning — a rare meeting with a visiting U.S. official.

Zhang said that reunification of Taiwan with the mainland is “the mission and responsibility” of the military, according to a statement from China’s Defense Ministry.

“China demands that the United States stop military collusion between the U.S. and Taiwan, stop arming Taiwan and stop spreading false narratives about Taiwan,” the statement said, without elaborating on what the false narratives are.

Sullivan said “it is rare that we have the opportunity to have this kind of exchange” and underscored “the need for us to responsibly manage U.S.-China relations.”

A White House statement said the two had “recognized the progress in sustained, regular military-military communications over the past 10 months” and noted an agreement announced the previous day to hold a telephone call between commanders at the theater-level in the near future. On Taiwan, the U.S. statement said only that Sullivan had raised the importance of cross-Strait peace and stability.

China suspended communication between the two militaries and in a few other fields after a senior U.S. lawmaker, then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, visited Taiwan in August 2022. Talks were only gradually resumed more than a year later, after Xi and Biden met outside San Francisco in November.

A theater-level call would be between Adm. Samuel Paparo, who heads the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaii, and his Chinese counterpart, said Russel, of the Asia Society Policy Institute.

“This theater command-level dialogue is critical for crisis prevention but something the Chinese military has been resisting,” said Russel, a former assistant U.S. secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs.

Paparo said this week that the U.S. military is open to consultations about escorting Philippine ships in the South China Sea, where they have clashed with Chinese ships trying to block them from small islands and outcroppings that both countries claim.

Wu reported from Bangkok. Associated Press writers Didi Tang and Aamer Madhani in Washington contributed.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024. (Trevor Hunnicutt/Pool Photo via AP)

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan speaks during a press conference at the end of his visit at the U.S. embassy in Beijing, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan, left, accompanied by U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns meets Chinese President Xi Jinping, accompanied by China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024. (Trevor Hunnicutt/Pool Photo via AP)

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan, rear left, accompanied by U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns meets Chinese President Xi Jinping, center, accompanied by China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024. (Trevor Hunnicutt/Pool Photo via AP)

In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, meets with White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024. (Li Xueren/Xinhua via AP)

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan, left walks past Zhang Youxia, Vice Chairman of the CPC Central Military Commission at right before a meeting at the Bayi building in Beijing, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, Pool)

Zhang Youxia, Vice Chairman of the CPC Central Military Commission, fourth from right holds a meeting with White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan, fourth from left. at the Bayi building in Beijing, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, Pool)

Zhang Youxia, Vice Chairman of the CPC Central Military Commission, second from right, holds a meeting with White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan, second from left. during a meeting at the Bayi building in Beijing, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, Pool)

Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of the CPC Central Military Commission, right, shakes hands with White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan before a meeting at the Bayi building in Beijing, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, Pool)

Zhang Youxia, Vice Chairman of the CPC Central Military Commission, right, attends a meeting with White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan, unseen. during a meeting at the Bayi building in Beijing, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, Pool)

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan, second from left speaks near U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns, third from left, during a meeting with Zhang Youxia, Vice Chairman of the CPC Central Military Commission, unseen, at the Bayi building in Beijing, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, Pool)

Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of the CPC Central Military Commission, right, shakes hands with White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan before a meeting at the Bayi building in Beijing, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, Pool)

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Yusei Kikuchi pitched seven innings of three-hit ball in another sharp start, and Yordan Alvarez homered and drove in two runs in the Houston Astros ' 5,000th victory, 5-3 over the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night.

Kikuchi (9-9) overcame early trouble and struck out six Angels while keeping the Astros unbeaten in all of his starts since joining Houston in a trade with Toronto. Houston gave up three prospects for Kikuchi, who is grateful to general manager Dana Brown for believing in him.

“I heard a lot of what fans had to say” about the trade, Kikuchi said through an interpreter. “But I think our GM made an awesome decision. I just wanted to prove to everybody what I'm capable of. ... I wasn't pitching that well in Toronto just before the deadline, so I was shocked a little bit. But once I got here, I was able to put the past behind me.”

Kikuchi is 5-0 in an Astros uniform, and Houston is 8-0 when he takes the mound. He's a big reason the Astros are rolling toward yet another AL West title after struggling early in the season. Kikuchi and two relievers combined to hold Los Angeles to three hits.

“He's been really good,” Houston manager Joe Espada said. “We knew that it was in there. I'm just glad that he's been receptive and been able to be open about the adjustments we wanted him to make, and pitch usage and stuff like that. But the arm has always been there. It just feels like he's been here for many, many years. I hope he just keeps going.”

Alex Bregman hit an early two-run homer and Alvarez added his 33rd in the ninth inning for the first-place Astros, who opened a six-game Southern California trip with their second straight win after a three-game skid.

Josh Hader pitched the ninth for his 30th save as the Astros became the 18th big league club to reach 5,000 victories.

Mickey Moniak homered for the Angels, who have lost five of six.

Rookie Samuel Aldegheri (1-2) couldn’t get out of the third inning in his third major league start for the Angels, yielding four runs on six hits and five walks while recording only six outs.

“Just couldn't find his command,” Angels manager Ron Washington said. “Couldn't hit his spots. Couldn't throw any pitch with consistency. That's not him.”

Houston scored twice in the second with two singles followed by two walks and Alvarez's sacrifice fly.

The Astros then got three hits on Aldegheri's first three pitches in the third inning. After Kyle Tucker singled, Bregman hit his 23rd homer and Jeremy Peña doubled.

Kikuchi issued back-to-back walks to begin the third, and Los Angeles scored on Zach Neto's groundout and Nolan Schanuel's single.

Moniak's solo shot to right in the fourth was just his second career homer against a left-hander. It was also the former No. 1 overall pick's 14th homer of the season, matching his career high.

Alvarez's homer was a line drive that went in and out of Moniak's glove when the center fielder leaped at the wall to attempt what would have been a spectacular catch. The homer was Alvarez's fifth in September.

Hader recorded 30 saves for the fourth consecutive season and the fifth time in his career.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Astros: INF Jose Altuve returned from a one-game absence with discomfort in his right side. He drove the first pitch of the game into left field, but was easily thrown out at second while trying to stretch it into a double.

Angels: 2B Brandon Drury sat out after leaving Wednesday's game in the fifth inning with hamstring tightness. ... RHP Ben Joyce is still awaiting the results of his MRI exam Thursday. The 105-mph hurler hasn't pitched since Sept. 6 after reporting shoulder discomfort.

UP NEXT

Justin Verlander (3-6, 5.30 ERA) takes the mound for Houston after struggling in his past two starts in September. Los Angeles sends out All-Star Tyler Anderson (10-12, 3.50 ERA), who beat the Astros earlier this year for his only victory in nine career starts against them.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB

Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Samuel Aldegheri throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros in Anaheim, Calif., Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Houston Astros' Alex Bregman celebrates in the dugout after hitting a home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim, Calif., Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. Kyle Tucker also scored. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Houston Astros' Mauricio Dubón (14) bunt pops out during the third inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim, Calif., Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Angels' Mickey Moniak celebrates as he runs the bases after hitting a home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros in Anaheim, Calif., Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Angels' Jack López (10) scores as a throw gets past Houston Astros catcher Victor Caratini, left, during the third inning of a baseball game in Anaheim, Calif., Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Houston Astros starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim, Calif., Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)