Marco Rubio speaks with Chinese counterpart Wang Yi ahead of Trump-Xi summit

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke by telephone with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday to finalize arrangements for an upcoming summit between American President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

The two heads of state are scheduled to meet next week during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit held in Shenzhen, China. The conversation between the chief diplomats focused on broader bilateral ties and completing the preparations for the leaders' face-to-face discussions.

Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported remarks from Wang regarding the context of the high-level engagement. According to the state outlet, Wang noted that the two leaders had reached an understanding aimed at developing a fresh framework for engagement, stating that "the two heads of state agreed to enrich the connotation of a new vision of China-US relations, providing clearer strategic guidance for exploring a right approach for the two countries to get along with each other."

Wang also characterized the current state of bilateral interactions as hard-won progress. He remarked that "the stable momentum of China-US relations has not come easily and is the two major countries’ rational choice based on their respective and common interests," as reported by Xinhua.

The bilateral discussions between Rubio and Wang serve as the final diplomatic groundwork ahead of the gathering in Shenzhen, where Trump and Xi are expected to address pressing mutual concerns and global strategic matters. Further specific details on the agenda for the bilateral talks have not yet been disclosed by either government.