FM urges US to 'exercise prudence in words, deeds'

China and the United States have seen two major conversations by their senior officials this week, taking place on security and diplomacy, respectively. Observers said this underlined the urgency and shared willingness to keep official contacts afloat.

Following the video talk between Minister of National Defense Dong Jun and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Wang Yi and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke on the phone on Wednesday.

In a brief statement issued late on Wednesday regarding the diplomats' conversation, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said that both sides considered the call "timely, necessary and productive", and emphasized the need to further give full play to the strategic leading role of head-of-state diplomacy in China-US relations, properly manage differences, explore practical cooperation and promote the stable development of bilateral ties.

Wang said that the recent negative statements and actions from the US side have undermined China's legitimate rights and interests, interfered in China's internal affairs, and "are not conducive to the improvement and development of China-US relations", which "China unequivocally opposes".

He urged the US to "exercise prudence in words and deeds", particularly on topics involving China's core interests such as the Taiwan question.

The US State Department said in a readout on Wednesday that Rubio "emphasized the importance of open and constructive communication on a range of bilateral issues".

Wang and Rubio also "discussed other global and regional issues as a continuation" of their face-to-face discussions in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in July, the readout added.

Dong told Hegseth on Tuesday that "no conflict and no confrontation" is not only a shared consensus but also a "bottom line" for both countries and their militaries.

Hegseth made clear that the US "does not seek conflict with China, nor is it pursuing regime change or strangulation" of China, the Pentagon said in a release.

Diao Daming, a professor of US studies at Renmin University of China's School of International Relations, said both conversations serve as a fresh reminder that "the two sides have maintained efficient, close high-level contacts on diplomatic and defense tracks".

"They sent a positive signal to the rest of the world that Beijing and Washington are able to keep their communication channels afloat, steady and functioning," Diao said.

The two conversations help prevent both sides from being dragged into uncontrollable conflict, he said.

Su Xiaohui, deputy director of the Department of American Studies at the China Institute of International Studies, said Beijing has made clear that Washington should stop creating risks — as it has done recently — while vowing not to seek confrontation.

"It is quite natural to see differences between two major countries, and the current top priority for Beijing and Washington is to follow through and take more actions to boost contacts, stabilize their ties and get the relationship back on track," she said.

Wang told Rubio that China and the US once fought side by side against militarism and fascism during World War II. "In the new era, the two countries should likewise work together for world peace and prosperity, tackle global challenges and fulfill their due responsibilities as major countries," Wang said.

During his call with Rubio, Wang described China and the US as "two giant ships".

Wang said if these two ships are to sail forward together without getting disoriented or losing speed, they must "steadfastly adhere to the strategic guidance of their heads of state and fully implement the important consensus reached between the two leaders without any compromise".

Diao, the RUC professor, said Beijing's message for Washington is to better manage and control the negative factors of the ties, and better control will surely help stabilize relations and pave the way for potential top-level interactions.