Sullivan, China's top diplomat Wang Yi and others meet for the talks starting on Tuesday as the two countries are at odds over the Middle East and Ukraine, Chinese territorial claims from Taiwan to the South China Sea, and trade.
Biden, who is in the final months of his presidency, has pushed direct diplomacy to influence Chinese President Xi Jinping and keep those tensions at bay; US Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate in November's election, would likely pursue a similar strategy.
However many analysts aligned with Republican former president Donald Trump see that approach too soft given China's increasingly assertive foreign policy.
Sullivan, who landed in Bejiing on Tuesday afternoon, wants to expand military-to-military talks down to the theatre command level, a step that Washington hopes could prevent conflict in specific areas like the Taiwan strait.
Jake Sullivan is welcomed by Yang Tao and US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns in Beijing. (AP PHOTO)
The US also wants China to take more action at home to prevent the development of chemicals that can be made into fentanyl, the leading cause of US drug overdoses, and reach an understanding about safety standards for artificial intelligence.
Beijing plans to express its disapproval over US tariffs on a range of manufactured goods and export controls targeting Chinese chip makers, and talk about its claims of sovereignty over the democratically ruled island of Taiwan.
"China will focus on expressing serious concerns, clarifying its solemn position and making serious demands on the Taiwan issue, the right to development and China's strategic security," the Chinese foreign affairs ministry said.
"The US has continuously taken unreasonable measures against China in terms of tariffs, export controls, investment reviews and unilateral sanctions, which have seriously undermined China's legitimate rights and interests."
Both sides are also warily watching the prospect that the Gaza war could spiral into a broader regional conflict.
Sullivan's trip is the first by a US national security adviser since 2016. He has held regular talks with Wang with an eye to managing competition between the superpowers, and they last met in January in Bangkok.
In Beijing, the two officials could also set the path towards a final meeting between Biden and Xi. Peru hosts the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum summit and Brazil hosts the Group of 20 summit, both in November, where the two could meet.
When Harris accepted the Democratic nomination last week she said she would ensure that "America - not China - wins the competition for the 21st Century."
As vice president, she has spent significant time travelling to and bolstering US relationships with China's neighbours, including Japan, South Korea and Vietnam.
Trump has vowed across-the-board tariffs, with special emphasis on goods from China. His allies have pledged support to China's neighbors, including Japan and South Korea, under a new Republican administration.
US intelligence suggests that China has no preference in the upcoming election contest, according to people familiar with the matter.
The US and China have sought to stabilise rocky ties since they sank to a historic low after the US downed a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon last year.
Biden and Xi agreed at a summit in November last year to have their teams speak on military matters, artificial intelligence and curbing illicit fentanyl production.
