Obama aide visits China after South China Sea ruling

US National Security Adviser Susan Rice, left, and Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi, right, shake hands as they pose for a photo at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, Monday, July 25, 2016. AP

BEIJING — US National Security Adviser Susan Rice was in Beijing on Monday for talks with Chinese officials in the highest-level visit by a White House official since an international tribunal issued a ruling that invalidated China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea.

The tribunal’s July 12 ruling delivered a victory to the Philippines, a US ally, but angered China and appears set to heighten regional tensions. The US, whose Navy patrols the waters, has called on China to abide by the ruling while also urging calm.

READ: US, China Navy chiefs set for fresh talks on South China Sea

The topic was not raised in opening remarks in front of reporters at Rice’s meeting with China’s top diplomat, State Councilor Yang Jiechi.

On Monday, Rice told Yang that the US and China have been cooperating more closely on global issues such as nuclear nonproliferation and the Ebola epidemic. She acknowledged that the sides also faced other “global issues and challenges.”

“To the extent that we are able to surface those challenges in candor and openness, I’m confident that we will be able to work on them as we have many others in the past,” Rice said.

Yang said that the sides had stable relations, but that there were still differences that had to be carefully managed.

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