Wang Yi: Taiwan question constitutes the biggest risk in China-US ties

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday stressed that the Taiwan question concerns China's core interests and constitutes the biggest risk in China-US relations during a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, pointed out that head-of-state diplomacy has always served as the "anchor" of China-US relations.

Under the strategic guidance of the two leaders, China-US relations have generally remained stable, Wang said, noting that this serves the fundamental interests of the two peoples and meets the common expectations of the international community.

Wang said both sides should safeguard the hard-won stability, prepare well for important key high-level interaction agendas, expand areas of cooperation, manage divergence, resolve conflict, and explore ways to build a China-US relationship featuring strategic, constructive, and stable development to achieve mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation.

On the Taiwan question, the top Chinese diplomat urged the US side to honor its commitments, make the right choice, open new space for bilateral cooperation, and make due efforts for world peace.

Rubio said US-China relations are the world's most important bilateral relationship and that head-of-state diplomacy lies at the core of bilateral ties.

He said both sides should maintain communication and coordination, show mutual respect, properly handle differences, accumulate conditions for future high-level interactions, and seek strategic stability in US-China relations.

The two sides also exchanged views on the situation in the Middle East and other issues.