BEIJING/ WASHINGTON/CAIRO: Chinese President Xi Jinping called on Wednesday for “mutual respect” in strengthening relations with the United States, warning President Donald Trump in a phone call to use “caution” when selling arms to Taiwan, Beijing´s state media reported.
Xi expressed the hope that bilateral issues—amongst which trade figures highly—could be resolved amicably between the world´s two largest economies.“By tackling issues one by one and continuously building mutual trust, we can forge a right way for the two countries to get along,” Xi said, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
“Let us make 2026 a year in which China and the United States, as two major countries, move toward mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation,” he added.
Trump, in a post on his Truth Social platform following what he called an “excellent” call, said ties between the two countries were “extremely good”.“The relationship with China, and my personal relationship with President Xi, is an extremely good one, and we both realise how important it is to keep it that way,” Trump said.
The president said he and Xi discussed trade, Taiwan, the Russian war against Ukraine, and Iran, as well as a planned trip to China, which he said “I very much look forward to”.On Taiwan, however, Xi warned Washington to exercise caution in arms sales to the democratically-run island, which Beijing claims as its own territory.
Meanwhile, US officials have decided to reject Iran’s request to change to location for talks planned for Friday, Axios reported on Wednesday, citing two US officials.Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday that United States is ready to meet Iran this week but discussions must cover its missile and nuclear programmes.
“If the Iranians want to meet, we´re ready,” Rubio told reporters.“They´ve expressed an interest in meeting and talking. If they change their mind, we´re fine with that too,” he said, after President Donald Trump ordered a sharp military buildup near Iran´s coast and threatened to strike.
“In order for talks to actually lead to something meaningful, they will have to include certain things, and that includes the range of their ballistic missiles, that includes their sponsorship of terrorist organisations across the region, that includes their nuclear programme and that includes the treatment of their own people,” Rubio said.
Separately, US President Donald Trump told NBC News on Wednesday that Iran’s supreme leader “should be very worried” as Washington and Tehran prep for nuclear talks this week.
In another development, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Wednesday that nuclear talks with the US are set to be held in the Omani capital Muscat at around 10 a.m. on Friday.
