Chinese FM hopes China, US to create conditions for development of bilateral relations

BEIJING -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday expressed hopes that China and the United States will work in the same direction to get well poised for high-level interactions and create conditions for the development of bilateral relations.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks in a phone call with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

He said China-US relations have a bearing on the whole world, and a healthy, stable and sustainable bilateral relationship serves the long-term interests of both countries and meets the common expectations of the international community.

President Xi Jinping and President Donald Trump are both world-class leaders who have maintained long-term exchanges and mutual respect, which has become the most valuable strategic asset in China-US relations, Wang said.

Earlier, China-US economic and trade ties had encountered new frictions, Wang said, adding that through the talks held in Kuala Lumpur, the two sides clarified their positions, enhanced mutual understanding, and reached a framework consensus on addressing urgent economic and trade issues on an equal footing.

This once again proves that it is possible to stabilize and advance the bilateral relationship as long as the two sides fully implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, uphold the principles of equality, respect and mutual benefit, resolve differences through dialogue, and refrain from resorting to pressure, Wang said.

For his part, Rubio said the US-China relationship is the most important bilateral relationship in the world, and he looks forward to sending a positive signal to the world through high-level interactions.