The US national security adviser is holding talks with a top Chinese military official in Beijing

U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan was meeting Thursday morning with a top Chinese defense official as the two countries try to strengthen communication to prevent differences over Taiwan and the South China Sea from spiraling into conflict.

The meeting came one day after the White House said that a phone conversation would be arranged between Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden in the coming weeks.

“Your request to meet with me shows the value you attach to military security and the relationship between our militaries,” Zhang Youxia, the vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, told Sullivan in opening remarks.

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

Sullivan is on the final day of a three-day trip to China, his first as national security adviser and one aimed at keeping high-level communications open and stabilizing bilateral relations to avoid conflict. His main talks were over the last one and a half days with Wang Yi, the foreign minister and the ruling Communist Party's top foreign policy official.

The White House statement said both sides would keep lines of communication open, including planning for a “leader-level call" in the coming weeks. There was no indication whether the two leaders might meet in person before Biden leaves the Oval Office.