Beijing hopes that the United States will be "halfway there" in efforts to prepare for "high-level contacts" between the two countries, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in a telephone conversation with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Reuters reported, citing an official statement from the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
The conversation took place on the eve of an expected meeting between President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump, which is due to take place later this week in South Korea, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.
According to the Chinese side, Xi and Trump "have maintained a long-standing relationship and mutual respect" and the relationship between them is "the most valuable strategic asset in Sino-US relations."
Beijing has not officially confirmed the meeting, but the White House has already announced that it is scheduled for Thursday.
In recent weeks, trade tensions have resurfaced between the world's two largest economies. - China has expanded controls on rare earth exports, and the United States has imposed additional port fees on Chinese ships. In response, both sides have retaliated.
Negotiators from Beijing and Washington met in Kuala Lumpur over the weekend to discuss a framework trade agreement that the two leaders will review. Among the topics were soybean trade and the activities of the TikTok platform.
"The trade and economic relations between China and the United States have gone through a series of twists and turns," Wang Yi said. "The two sides have clarified their positions and strengthened mutual understanding," he added, stressing that progress can only be made if pressure is replaced by dialogue.
President Trump, who is traveling to Japan, confirmed to reporters that he expects the United States and China to reach a deal that will "launch a new stage in the relationship between the two countries.".