Key facts
- China and the US should prepare for the next stage of high-level interactions, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
- Wang Yi said head-of-state diplomacy serves as the anchor of China-US ties.
- The call between Wang Yi and Rubio occurred ahead of an expected visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to the US.
- A meeting between Xi Jinping and President Donald Trump was expected on September 24.
- Wang Yi and Rubio discussed the situation in the Middle East.
- Wang Yi previously met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that the two countries "should prepare well for the next stage of high-level interactions in the spirit of equality, respect and reciprocity," Wang's ministry said. Wang emphasized that head-of-state diplomacy serves as the anchor of China-US ties, adding that the two sides should strengthen communication, advance cooperation, manage differences and respect each other's core interests.