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China Foreign Minister Wang Yi and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a phone call on Monday during which the Chinese leader urged the United States to “meet it halfway” to facilitate preparations for high-level interactions between the two countries.
According to a Reuters report, citing an official Chinese readout, Wang said that Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump have “long-standing exchanges and respect each other,” describing Xi and Trump’s relationship as “the most valuable strategic asset in China-US relations.”
The call came ahead of an anticipated meeting between Xi and Trump in South Korea later this week, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit.
The Chinese readout of Monday’s conversation did not explicitly confirm the meeting, though the White House has previously indicated it will take place on Thursday.
Tensions between the world’s two largest economies have recently escalated after a period of relative calm. Beijing has tightened controls over rare earth exports, while Washington has imposed additional port fees on Chinese ships, prompting a series of reciprocal measures.
Over the weekend, trade negotiators from both countries met in Malaysia to work on a framework trade deal for the leaders to review, covering issues such as soybeans and TikTok.
Impact Shorts
More Shorts“China-US trade and economic relations (have) experienced some twists and turns,” Wang said, according to the readout released by his ministry.
“The two sides clarified their positions and enhanced understanding” during the trade talks in Kuala Lumpur, he said.
Bilateral relations can move forward as long as both sides are “committed to resolving conflicts through dialogue and abandon the practice of exerting pressure at will,” Wang added.
Trump, en route to Japan on Monday, said the U.S. and China are set to “come away with” a trade deal.
With inputs from agencies
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