Senior U.S. and Chinese diplomats held the second round of the U.S.-China Middle East Dialogue in Washington on Thursday. The dialogue is under the framework of the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue. The talks were led by U.S. Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman and Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhai Jun. "The two sides discussed developments in the Middle East, with particular attention to Syria, Iran, and Middle East peace," the State Department said in a statement late Thursday. Sherman and Zhai "discussed ways for both countries to promote greater cooperation on regional issues and related global challenges, including energy security," the department wrote. "The United States reiterated its commitment to building a cooperative partnership with China and welcomed China playing a more active and positive role in the Middle East region." The U.S. delegation included representatives from the State Department and Pentagon, and Zhai met with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State William Burns during his visit, the statement said.
