Riyaz ul Khaliq
22 July 2026•Update: 22 July 2026
Beijing urged Washington on Wednesday to “respect” China’s “core interests” as well as “uphold the one-China principle” as Chinese President Xi Jinping prepares to visit the US, Chinese state media reported.
The reiteration of Beijing’s concerns was raised by Foreign Minister Wang Yi during a face-to-face meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the Philippines.
They met on the sidelines of an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) foreign ministers’ meeting in Manila. The Philippines is the current chair of the 11-member bloc.
“(The) US side should properly manage differences, (and) address China’s legitimate concerns,” Wang told Rubio, according to Xinhua News. The two sides were likely to discuss Xi’s expected trip to the US this September.
The two sides said the meeting was “practical, positive and constructive,” according to a readout by Beijing, which added that they “agreed to make good preparations for the next stage of China-US high-level exchanges.”
Wang’s meeting with Rubio came days after US President Donald Trump accused China of interfering in US elections, a claim dismissed by Beijing and disputed by many American election security experts.
Trump visited China in May, where he also extended an invitation to Xi to visit this fall.
Wang stated that this year was a “big year” in China-US relations, according to the statement.
Xi and Trump “successfully held a historic meeting in Beijing, defining the constructive strategic and stable relationship between China and the US and outlining directions for joint efforts,” said Wang, noting the Beijing meeting between Chinese and US presidents.
“This is an important step forward for the two major powers in exploring the path of peaceful coexistence, which is in line with the fundamental interests of the two peoples and the common expectations of the international community,” said the Chinese foreign minister.
Rubio and Wang had held their first face-to-face meeting in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur last year, on the sidelines of an ASEAN summit. The two have held several calls while Rubio also accompanied Trump to Beijing during his state visit in May.
