Chinese FM on meeting with US Secretary of State: Strengthening contact, preventing misjudgment

KUALA LUMPUR - Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Saturday briefed reporters on his meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, met with Rubio here on Friday on the sidelines of the ASEAN Plus foreign ministers' meetings.

Both sides are aware that the China-US relationship is the most important bilateral relationship in the world, concerning both countries and influencing the entire globe, Wang said.

A common focus of both sides is to translate the important consensus reached by the two heads of state into specific policies and actions, to ensure that the two giant ships of China and the United States do not deviate from their courses, lose speed, or collide, Wang added.

He said the meeting was constructive, and both sides conducted an equal dialogue in the spirit of mutual respect.

The Chinese side has comprehensively expounded its principled positions on China-US relations, which is believed to have enhanced the US side's understanding of China, and paved the way for the next steps of exchanges between the diplomatic teams of the two countries, Wang said.

He summarized the meeting in the following words: strengthening contact, preventing misjudgment, managing differences, and expanding cooperation.

From the perspective of historical evolution and humanity as a whole, China and the United States share extensive common interests and have broad space for cooperation, Wang noted.

Both sides have the responsibility and the possibility to find the right way to get along in the new era, Wang said, adding that this will be a blessing for the peoples of both countries and the hope of all countries in the world.