On Biden's Order, US Finance Minister Janet Yellen Visits Beijing This Week

JAKARTA - United States Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is scheduled to visit Beijing, China on July 6-9 to meet with senior Chinese officials, according to a US Treasury Ministry statement.

"Minister of Finance Yellen's journey followed President (Joe) Biden's direction after his meeting with Chinese President Xi (Jinping) last November for further communication between the US and China on various issues, including global macroeconomic and financial developments," the ministry said in a statement as reported by ANTARA from Anadolu, Monday, July 3.

"While in Beijing, Minister of Finance Yellen will discuss with Chinese officials the important roles of the two countries -- as the world's two largest economies -- to responsibly regulate our relationship, communicate directly about a number of concerns, and work together to overcome global challenges," the statement continued.

Yellen will be the second person in the Biden administration Cabinet to visit China after Foreign Minister Anthony Blinken visited on June 18-19.

Blinken has also met with President Xi for talks in the highest level relationship between the world's top two economies since Xi met Biden last November in Indonesia.

Xi said the two sides made progress and reached an agreement on certain issues. But a few days after Blinken returned from China, Biden called the Chinese leader a dictator.

Relations between China and the US deteriorated during the Trump administration with trade wars and have remained strained since then due to conflicts over Taiwan and alleged Chinese spy balloons crossing US territory.