In a sudden burst of high-level engagement, China and the US saw their defence chiefs and top diplomats hold back-to-back talks this week, as anticipation builds over a possible meeting between President Xi Jinping and US counterpart Donald Trump.
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The US State Department said Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke by phone with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday, just hours after US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth held a video call with Chinese Defence Minister Admiral Dong Jun – their first direct talks since taking office.
“Secretary Rubio emphasised the importance of open and constructive communication on a range of bilateral issues,” State Department deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott said.
He added that the two diplomats “also discussed other global and regional issues as a continuation of the discussions in Kuala Lumpur”. Wang and Rubio last met in July on the sidelines of the Asean Regional Forum in Malaysia, an interaction that the two sides described as “constructive”.
“The odds are high,” Rubio said then about the possibility of a Xi-Trump summit. “I think both sides want to see it happen,” he noted, without providing a timeline.
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The Post earlier reported that Trump might visit China before heading to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in South Korea, or he could meet Xi on the sidelines of the event between October 30 and November 1.