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China and the United States agreed Wednesday to strengthen diplomatic communication and pursue progress in bilateral relations ahead of upcoming summits involving Presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump, as both sides emphasized the importance of maintaining strategic stability.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed bilateral relations and upcoming international meetings during a telephone call that Beijing described as "positive and constructive."
"China is ready to strengthen communication and cooperation with the US side, properly handle differences and sensitive issues," Wang told Rubio, according to Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning.
Wang said the two countries should support each other in the "successful hosting" of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit and the Group of 20 (G20) Leaders' Summit and "work for tangible progress in building a constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability."
He emphasized that Beijing's broader policy toward Washington remained "stable and consistent."
"The stable momentum of China-US ties did not come easily and is the two major countries' rational choice based on respective and common interests," Wang said, according to a Chinese Foreign Ministry statement.
The U.S. State Department confirmed later Wednesday that Rubio and Wang had discussed Trump's upcoming visit to China for the APEC Summit and Xi's planned trip to Florida for the G20 Summit.
"The Secretary and the Director recalled the bilateral leader-level commitment to a constructive relationship of strategic stability on the basis of respect, fairness, and reciprocity," the department said.
The statement referred to Wang's additional role as director of the Office of the Chinese Communist Party Central Foreign Affairs Commission.
According to the State Department, both officials agreed on the importance of "meaningful leader-level conversations" to advance shared objectives, including peace and denuclearization.
The discussions also addressed the possibility of a trilateral leaders' meeting involving Russia, although no such meeting was confirmed.
The diplomatic exchange comes as Xi prepares to host the 33rd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Shenzhen, southern China's Guangdong province, on Nov. 18-19.
The gathering will bring together representatives from APEC's 21 member economies, including Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Reports have suggested that the summit could provide an opportunity for a trilateral meeting involving the U.S., Chinese and Russian leaders.
However, no formal announcement of such talks was included in the statements released following Wednesday's call.
Xi and Trump previously met at summits in Beijing and Washington this year, where they agreed to pursue a "constructive relationship of strategic stability based on respect, fairness and reciprocity," according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
The latest exchange between Wang and Rubio comes as Beijing and Washington seek to maintain diplomatic engagement and manage differences ahead of the two major international gatherings.
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