A top White House official said China has been reluctant to engage in discussion amidthe U.S. push for "constructive diplomacy."

What Happened:The U.S. Indo-Pacific coordinatorKurt Campbellsaid Washington had been pushing to have anothercall between PresidentJoe Bidenand Chinese leaderXi Jinpingbut has yet to receive a positive response from the Chinese side.

Campbell stressing the need forCold War-era hotlinesand other crisis mechanisms said efforts to build a floor under heightened tensions are yet to be successful and coming months will determine if it is possible to reestablish constructive diplomacy with Beijing.

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Were prepared and, from our perspective, we want tokeep lines of communication openand it is our intention to keep those lines open, he said at an event hosted by the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) think tank.

The U.S. official said the Chinese administration had been reluctant to engage in discussionsaround confidence-building or crisis communications, or hotlines and it would be a responsible step to have such mechanisms.

We built those during the Cold War. We think that theyre appropriate now, he added.

Campbell said Washington was in the early stages ofa new phase of competitive relations with Beijing.

I think you will see in the coming months whether its going to be possible to reestablish effective, predictable, constructive diplomacy between the United States and China."

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