© EPA/ PEDRO PARDO / POOL Wang Yi had a phone conversation with Rubio before Trump's summit with Xi.
The Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs, Wang Yi, has implored the United States to “take the appropriate course” concerning Taiwan to “sustain constancy” in relations with Beijing, according to The Guardian.
Wang engaged in a telephone conversation with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio a number of weeks prior to US President Donald Trump’s anticipated trip to Beijing for a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
“Both nations ought to protect the stability that has been difficult to achieve, prepare for vital high-level meetings, broaden spheres of collaboration, and resolve their disagreements,” Wang stated during his conversation with Rubio, as per a declaration from the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
Wang also underscored that the Taiwan matter touches upon China’s fundamental interests and constitutes “the paramount hazard element in Sino-American relations.”
“The United States should uphold its pledges and take the appropriate action, unlocking novel opportunities for mutual partnership and lending a hand to reinforcing global peace,” Wang remarked.
As per a proclamation from the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Wang and Rubio “exchanged opinions” on the situation in the Middle East, but no additional particulars were furnished. China is viewed as a crucial ally of Tehran, although Beijing has strived to abstain from the conflict between the US, Israel and Iran.
An official from the US Department of State verified the phone call, stating that it was aimed at readying the US leader’s visit to China. Trump is scheduled to visit Beijing on May 14-15, his initial voyage to China since his return to the White House in January 2025. Since the commencement of Trump’s second tenure, Washington and Beijing have clashed over commerce and levies. Last October, the two parties proclaimed a commercial cease-fire following Trump’s meeting with Xi in South Korea.
Reuters reported that Taiwan would be prominent on Xi’s agenda at the gathering with Trump, in contrast to the conference in South Korea, where the Chinese leader intentionally refrained from addressing the matter.
Bloomberg penned that Taiwan harbors apprehensions about being “on the menu” of Trump’s assembly with Xi. Taipei fears that the US president might offer concessions regarding the democratically governed island, hence, it is exerting significant effort to avert such a circumstance.
Beijing has never precluded the prospect of employing force to seize Taiwan, as it regards the island as its territory, while advocating for “peaceful unification.” How China combines military pressure with economic incentives and political contacts, Natalia Butyrska told in the article “Beijing is Coming Softly: How China's Gifts Are Splitting Taiwan.”