WASHINGTON: White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Malta this weekend, Beijing and Washington said on Sunday, as the world`s two largest economies seek to stabilise troubled relations.

Both sides held `candid, substantive and constructive` talks during multiple meetings held Sept 16-17, according to separate statements from the White House and the Chinese foreign ministry published on Sunday.

Sullivan`s meeting with Wang was the latest in a series of high-level discussions between US and Chinese officials that could lay the groundwork for a meeting of US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping later this year. Sullivan last met Wang in Vienna in May.

China`s foreign ministry said both sides agreed to maintain high-level exchanges and hold bilateral consultations on Asia-Pacific affairs, maritime affairs and foreign policy. The White House added that both sides `committed to maintain this strategic channel of communication and to pursue additional high-level engagement and consultations in key areas ... in the coming months`.

Washington said Sullivan `noted the importance of peace and st ability across the Taiwan Strait`, while Wang cautioned the United States that the Taiwan issue is the `first insurmountable red line of Sino-US relations`, according to the Chinese foreign ministry statement.

Biden this month expressed disappointment that Xi skipped a summit of Group of 20 leaders in India, but said he would `get to see him.` The next likely opportunity for Biden to hold talks with Xi is an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco in November.-Reuters