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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his American counterpart Marco Rubio discussed the situation in the Middle East by phone on Thursday, according to official media in Beijing, ahead of an expected summit between Presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump in Washington next week.
Wang told Rubio that Beijing and Washington "should prepare for the next phase of high-level exchanges in a spirit of equality, mutual respect, and mutual benefit," as reported by the Xinhua News Agency.
Trump is scheduled to receive his Chinese counterpart at the White House next week to discuss various topics, particularly trade, artificial intelligence, and the war between the United States and Iran.
Wang added in his call with Rubio that bilateral relations have generally evolved recently towards achieving a "constructive strategic stability".
The officials also exchanged views on the situation in the Middle East, as Beijing seeks to mediate between Tehran and Washington, according to Xinhua.
The conflict between the United States and Iran, which erupted following US-Israeli strikes at the end of February, casts a shadow over bilateral relations, as China seeks to avoid sanctions that Washington is imposing on countries that trade with Tehran.
The trade war is also causing growing concern, as the world's two largest economies are still trying to mitigate the impact of the comprehensive tariffs imposed by Trump.
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