The White House will hold secret talks next week with Taiwan's Foreign Minister Joseph Wu and National Security Adviser Wellington Koo in a special diplomatic dialogue that must remain confidential so as not to provoke an angry Chinese reaction, the Financial Times reported.

After arriving over the weekend, the Taiwanese delegation will meet next week with U.S. Deputy National Security Adviser John Feiner, the publication reported, citing its own sources. According to one source, U.S. Undersecretary of State Wendy Sherman will also attend the meeting. 

Successive U.S. administrations have not discussed the existence of a long-standing diplomatic channel used to address security issues that has become increasingly important as China becomes more assertive around Taiwan, the Financial Times notes.

The publication also notes that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is trying to meet with Chinese State Councilor Wang at a security conference in Munich. 

Taiwan seceded from China in 1949 after a civil war.

Relations between Beijing and Washington are strained because of U.S. support for Taiwan independence.