Rubio, Wang call sets up Xi-Trump Shenzhen summit
SCMP · 2 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke by phone on Wednesday as Washington and Beijing stepped up preparations for next week’s meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Shenzhen. Chinese state media described the exchange as positive and constructive, with Beijing saying it was willing to strengthen communication and cooperation with the United States.
Key Points
- The call was held on Wednesday to finalise preparations for a Xi-Trump meeting expected on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Shenzhen on November 18-19.
- Xinhua quoted Wang as saying the two heads of state had agreed to deepen a new vision for China-US relations and provide clearer strategic guidance
- Wang said the current stable momentum in China-US relations had not come easily and was a rational choice based on both countries’ own and shared interests.
- China said it was willing to strengthen communication and properly handle differences and sensitive issues, while the US State Department did not immediately comment
- The call followed a video meeting in recent days between Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Vice-Premier He Lifeng on economic and AI-related deliverables
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong readers, the call points to a carefully managed lead-up to another top-level US-China encounter, with both governments trying to stabilise ties before leaders meet in Shenzhen. Any improvement or setback in that process could quickly affect regional political sentiment and the wider business environment linked to cross-border trade and technology discussions