Wang Yi Speaks by Phone with Rubio Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit in Washington
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China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs disclosed that Wang Yi, China's Foreign Minister, and Marco Rubio, the U.S. Secretary of State, discussed high-level interactions by telephone on Thursday, September 17, one week before the two countries' leaders meet in Washington. White House officials reported that President Donald Trump is scheduled to welcome President Xi Jinping in person on the evening of Wednesday, September 23, at Joint Base Andrews, with a formal welcome ceremony. The reception at the airfield is an unusual gesture, coming just one day before the summit at the White House, and reflects Trump's desire to build a stable relationship with China. During the phone call with Rubio, Wang stressed that head-of-state diplomacy serves as the anchor for China-U.S. relations, and that the two countries should jointly prepare for the next round of high-level exchanges in a spirit of equality, mutual respect, and mutual benefit. The two sides also exchanged views on the situation in the Middle East, after Wang met with Abbas Araghchi, Iran's Foreign Minister, in Beijing on Wednesday, September 16, where Wang encouraged Iran and the United States to be rational and exercise restraint, and to pursue substantive consultations and negotiations.