Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a “positive and constructive” phone call with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Reuters reported, citing China’s state-run Xinhua news agency.
Beijing expressed its willingness to step up communication and cooperation with Washington. According to Wang Yi, the current stability in relations between China and the United States has not been achieved easily.
“This is a rational choice made by the two major countries on the basis of their respective and shared interests,” Wang Yi said.The conversation took place about a week before the meeting of economic leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Shenzhen. Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump are expected to meet at the forum.
Dialogue ahead of the leaders’ meeting
The phone call between Wang Yi and Rubio is the latest signal that Beijing and Washington are seeking to maintain political dialogue despite the differences between the two countries. Wang Yi and Rubio are the leading representatives of China and the United States on political issues in bilateral relations.
Xinhua did not report any specific new agreements from the conversation, but pointed to China’s willingness to continue communication and expand cooperation. This places emphasis on preserving the stability achieved ahead of the expected new talks between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump.
Sources: internazionale.it, apnews.com