China and U.S. foreign ministers discuss Middle East and bilateral ties
Wang Yi and Marco Rubio reportedly spoke by phone as Beijing called for preparations for further high-level engagement between the two countries.
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed Middle East developments and bilateral relations by phone. Wang called for preparations for further high-level engagement and stronger communication between Beijing and Washington. The report also said Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to visit the United States next week for a meeting with Donald Trump, although China’s Foreign Ministry did not explicitly confirm that meeting.
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed developments in the Middle East and bilateral relations during a telephone call on Thursday, according to China’s Foreign Ministry, as reported by Iran’s IRNA citing Reuters.
Wang said China and the United States should prepare for the next stage of high-level engagement in a spirit of equality, mutual respect and reciprocal action. He described leader-level diplomacy as a central pillar of relations between Beijing and Washington and called for stronger communications, expanded cooperation, management of differences and respect for each other’s core interests.
The report said Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to travel to the United States next week for a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump. China’s Foreign Ministry did not explicitly refer to a meeting between the two leaders, but said Wang and Rubio held in-depth discussions focused on high-level engagement between the countries.
The two ministers also discussed the situation in the Middle East. The conversation followed Wang’s meeting on Wednesday with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, during which Wang said Beijing was willing to expand cooperation and dialogue with Tehran to protect Iran’s rights and interests.
According to the report, Wang said tensions between the United States and Iran were not in the common interest of the parties involved or the international community. He called for the parties to return as soon as possible to the Islamabad memorandum of understanding and urged dialogue and negotiations to resolve the issue.
Wang also said China would support talks between Iran and Gulf countries, respect for each other’s territorial sovereignty and national security, and the preservation of shared regional interests. He added that China opposed the spread of regional tensions to Yemen and the Red Sea.