The top diplomats of the United States and China met in Manila, Philippines, to exchange views on Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to the U.S., bilateral relations, and the Taiwan issue.

According to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday (the 22nd), Wang Yi, director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs of the Chinese Communist Party (who also serves as foreign minister), met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Manila that day.

The two officials visited Manila to attend the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Foreign Ministers' Meeting.

In a press release, the Chinese Foreign Ministry stated, "The two sides recognized that this meeting was pragmatic, positive, and constructive," adding, "They agreed to jointly implement the important consensus reached by the heads of state of the two countries, give full play to the roles of political and diplomatic channels, and well prepare for the next stage of high-level exchanges to promote substantive progress in the China-U.S. constructive strategic and stable relationship."

The "next stage of high-level exchanges" mentioned in the press release is interpreted as referring to future meetings between the leaders of the two countries.

U.S. President Donald Trump stated after completing his visit to Beijing, China, in May that President Xi Jinping would visit the United States on September 24.

However, China has not yet officially confirmed the specific schedule for President Xi's visit to the U.S.

Although the U.S. and China agreed to establish a "constructive strategic and stable relationship" at the Beijing summit, friction has continued over pending issues such as trade and Taiwan until recently.

Earlier this month, President Trump claimed that China interfered in the 2020 U.S. presidential election, prompting a backlash from China.

Speaking to reporters after his meeting with Director Wang that day, Secretary Rubio said, "I believe President Xi will look very favorably upon a visit to Washington, D.C.," adding that they "had a lot of discussions" regarding President Xi's September visit to the U.S.

He emphasized that while the U.S. and China will protect their respective national interests, "there are a few areas where we can potentially cooperate," and ahead of the September talks, they must identify such areas to lay the groundwork for President Xi's very positive visit to Washington, D.C.

Secretary Rubio stated that day that the two countries discussed U.S.-China trade and the Taiwan issue, noting the importance of the U.S. and China being able to talk regardless of differences in opinions.

He added that he also discussed with Director Wang "some aggressive measures" taken by China, such as sanctions and export controls imposed on Japan.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry stated that Director Wang expressed China's solemn position regarding recent "a series of negative remarks and actions" by the United States.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry also reported that it urged the United States to make the "year of opportunity" in U.S.-China relations a reality by respecting China's core interests, abiding by the "one China" principle, substantially managing conflicts and differences, and addressing China's legitimate concerns.

According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Director Wang said, "This year is an 'important year' for China-U.S. relations. The two heads of state successfully held a historic meeting in Beijing, which established the status of the China-U.S. constructive strategic and stable relationship and pointed out the direction for both countries to work together." He added, "This is an important progress achieved in the process of the two major powers of China and the U.S. exploring the path of peaceful coexistence, and it serves the fundamental interests of the peoples of both countries and the expectations of the international community."

Director Wang went on to emphasize, "Our current responsibility is to follow the trajectory set by the heads of state of the two countries, eliminate interference, overcome obstacles, and transform the leaders' consensus into the consensus and actions of the entire government and various fields," adding, "We must promote world peace and tranquility with China-U.S. strategic stability, and provide important impetus for international cooperation with China-U.S. constructive interaction."

The Chinese Foreign Ministry stated that the two individuals also exchanged views on international and regional issues.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)