TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — U.S. Deputy National Security Advisor Jonathan Finer met with Director of the International Liaison Department of the Chinese Communist Party Liu Jianchao (劉建超) on Wednesday (Jan. 10) at the White House to discuss Taiwan affairs, CNA reported.

The talks are an ongoing effort to maintain open channels of communication, per a White House press release. The discussions build on a high-stakes summit between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping (習近平) in November 2023.

The White House National Security Council said that Finer and Liu discussed the implementation of the November 2023 meeting, such as the resumption of military exchanges and the effort to jointly combat illegal drug manufacturing and trafficking.

Finer emphasized the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea. He also reiterated his support for the U.S. and China to continue high-level diplomacy and interactions.

The talks follow a meeting led by Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for China Michael Chase on Jan. 8-9 that was centered on defense and military issues.