Key facts
- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed preparations for upcoming high-level engagements.
- Wang Yi stated that head-of-state diplomacy is the cornerstone of China-US relations.
- The call occurred ahead of an anticipated visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to the US.
- Wang Yi and Rubio also discussed the situation in the Middle East.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a phone call Thursday with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to discuss preparations for upcoming high-level engagements, according to a readout released by the state-run Xinhua News Agency. During the exchange, Wang underscored that head-of-state diplomacy remains the cornerstone of U.S.–China relations. He noted that bilateral ties have broadly remained on a track of constructive strategic stability set by the two nations’ leaders, meeting the expectations of the international community. The call came a week ahead of an expected visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to the US, with a meeting with President Donald Trump set to take place on September 24, Trump had said. The official Chinese summary of the call fell short of explicitly confirming an upcoming meeting between Xi and Trump, but said Wang and Rubio "held in-depth discussions focused on high-level exchanges between the two countries." The two top diplomats also discussed the situation in the Middle East, the Chinese foreign ministry said, a day after Wang hosted Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi in Beijing for talks.