Jake Sullivan meets Yang Jiechi at key summit in Rome.

High-level talks between the United States and China to discuss the "implications of Russia's war against Ukraine on regional and global security" got underway in Rome on Monday 14 March.

Delegations led by US national security adviser Jake Sullivan and top Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi are meeting at the Rome Cavalieri Hotel, reports La Stampa newspaper.

The talks come after the Chinese embassy in Washington denied reports in the Financial Times on Monday that Russia has asked China for military equipment to support its invasion of Ukraine.

CNN reported that the "high-stakes" meeting in Rome could have "far-reaching consequences not only for the ongoing war in Ukraine, but for China's role in the world and its relationship with the West."

Italian premier Mario Draghi's diplomatic advisor is to meet with Sullivan on Tuesday, reports Italian news agency ANSA.

Photo CNN