Wang calls Rubio meeting constructive

The first in-person meeting between top diplomats from China and the United States on Friday was aimed at enhancing engagement, preventing misjudgment, managing differences, and expanding cooperation, Foreign Minister Wang Yi summarized.

The bilateral meeting between Wang and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, was constructive, and both sides conducted an equal dialogue in the spirit of mutual respect, Wang told reporters on Saturday as he wrapped up visit to Malaysia for ASEAN Plus foreign ministers' meetings.

Wang said that China elaborated on its principles and position toward China-US relations, which is believed to have enhanced Washington's understanding of Beijing and paved the way for further exchanges between the two countries' diplomatic teams.

The common focus of both sides is to translate the important consensus reached by the two heads of state into concrete policies and actions, he said.

Noting that holding bilateral meetings on multilateral occasions is a common international practice, Wang said the ASEAN Plus foreign ministers' meetings provided a platform for China-US engagement.

Both sides have recognized that their relations are the most important bilateral relationship in the world today, which not only concerns the two countries, but also influences the whole world, the foreign minister said.

Therefore, meetings between the two sides must be conducted seriously and earnestly, with candid communication carried out in a spirit of responsibility toward the peoples of both nations, the world, and history, he said.

China and the US, as two major powers, share extensive common interests and broad space for cooperation, Wang said, adding that both sides have the responsibility and the possibility to find a right way to get along in this new era.