When an unnamed "senior administration official" briefed reporters last Friday about National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan's trip to the People's Republic of China -- to meet with Foreign Minister Wang Yi -- there was one significant word he never used: genocide.

"I expect these meetings will cover roughly the same format as we have in previous rounds, discussing key issues in the U.S.-China bilateral relationship and advancing counternarcotics cooperation, military-to-military communication, and AI safety and risk discussions," this official said.

"Mr. Sullivan," the official said, "will raise U.S. concerns about China's support for Russia's defense industrial base, the South China Sea, and various other issues."

"And I expect they will also discuss cross-Strait issues," said this official.

Three days later, White House National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby gave reporters an on-the-record briefing on Sullivan's trip to China. His description of what Sullivan would discuss with Wang was virtually identical to the description given in the background briefing.

Kirby -- like the unnamed official who gave the background briefing -- never used this word: genocide.

Now, go back to Dec. 6, 2021 -- two months before........

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