Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday (September 17, 2026) ​told U.S. 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,” Mr. Wang’s ‌ministry said.

Head-of-state diplomacy serves as the anchor of China-U.S. ties, Mr. 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 U.S., with a meeting with President Donald Trump set to take place on September ‌24, Mr. Trump had said.

The official ​Chinese summary of the call fell short of explicitly confirming an ⁠upcoming meeting between Mr. Xi and Mr. Trump, but said Mr. Wang and Mr. Rubio “held in-depth discussions ‌focused on high-level exchanges between the two countries.”

The two top diplomats also discussed the situation in West Asia, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said, a day after Mr. Wang hosted Iranian Foreign ‌Minister Abbas Araqchi in Beijing for talks.

In his ​meeting with Mr. Araqchi on Wednesday (September 16, 2026), Mr. Wang encouraged Iran and the U.S. ⁠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.