The U.S. State Department has said Washington is not considering lifting sanctions on Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu, walking back remarks made by President Joe Biden after a Group of Seven leaders’ summit in Hiroshima that such a move was “under discussion.”

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters Monday that the U.S. was not entertaining the idea of whether or not to lift sanctions for negotiation purposes, a move some view as critical to facilitate talks between him and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

The sanctions on Li, imposed in 2018 for assisting in China’s procurement of Russian-made Su-35 aircraft and S-400 air-defense systems, mean that in-person talks between Li and Austin might not to take place on the sidelines of the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue — a regional security summit in Singapore – taking place early next month.

The Pentagon is reportedly seeking such a meeting with Li, as both officials are expected to attend the conference. If realized, it would mark the most senior in-person talks between the two superpowers since Washington shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon in March and the first between their defense ministers since last year’s Shangri-La Dialogue.

Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada is expected to meet Li in Singapore.

Both Washington and Beijing have reiterated the importance of stabilizing the rapidly deteriorating relations between the world's two largest economies. That said, it is unclear whether Beijing would accept such a proposal unless Washington rolls back some of the sanctions.

China’s Foreign Ministry hinted at this during a press briefing Monday.

“Now the U.S. says it wants to speak to the Chinese side while seeking to suppress China through all possible means and impose sanctions on Chinese officials, institutions and companies,” spokesperson Mao Ning said.

“Is there any sincerity in and significance of any communication like this? ... The U.S. side should immediately lift sanctions and take concrete actions to remove obstacles, create favorable atmosphere and conditions for dialogue and communication,” she added.

Following the balloon shootdown, Beijing let a U.S.-China military hotline go unanswered, arguing that Washington had “not created the proper atmosphere” for dialogue and exchange. U.S. military commanders have long expressed frustration over Beijing’s approach, as misunderstandings in times of crisis could escalate rapidly.

There is hope the Austin-Li meeting might still go ahead, with U.S. officials pointing out that the sanctions do not prevent Li from conducting official meetings with his U.S. counterparts.

Biden said Sunday he believes relations between the two superpowers may begin to “thaw very shortly,” signaling that high-level talks could become more frequent.

Speaking at a news briefing in Hiroshima, the U.S. president said that ever since the balloon incident, which resulted in U.S Secretary of State Antony Blinken canceling a highly anticipated trip to Beijing, “everything changed in terms of talking to one another.”

“I think we are going to see that begin to thaw very shortly,” he added.

Biden also made it clear he thinks military hotlines between the two countries should remain open, as he agreed with Chinese leader Xi Jinping during their November meeting in Bali, Indonesia.