A senior aide to President Joe Biden quietly held meetings with China’s top diplomat this weekend in Malta, the latest effort to ease tensions between Washington and Beijing.

The session between national security adviser Jake Sullivan and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi could help pave the way for a meeting between Biden and Chinese paramount leader Xi Jinping in the coming months.

“The two sides committed to consultations in key areas, specifically on political and security developments in the Asia Pacific,” when it comes to maritime issues and policy planning, which will take place in the coming months, according to a senior administration official who briefed reporters on the meetings.