China, US Top Diplomats Discuss 'High-Level Interactions' in Call: Beijing

Beijing: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday told US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in ​a phone call 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.

Head-of-state diplomacy serves as ​the anchor of China-US ties, Wang said, adding ​that the two sides should strengthen communication, advance ⁠cooperation, manage differences and respect each other's core ​interests.

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.

​In his meeting with Araqchi on Wednesday, ​Wang ⁠encouraged Iran and the US to remain rational, exercise restraint, return to the interim peace deal they signed ⁠in June ​and "engage in substantive consultations," while ​calling for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.