China's foreign minister has called on both Beijing and Washington to overcome obstacles in their relationship ahead of an anticipated summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Wang Yi met with U.S. Ambassador to China David Perdue on Wednesday, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV. Wang urged both sides to "focus on the positive agenda, properly manage differences, remove interference and overcome obstacles to high-level exchanges between the two countries."
Despite the call for improved relations, Wang acknowledged that China-U.S. ties "still face various risks and challenges."
Trump and Xi last met in May in Beijing, where they committed to stabilizing the relationship and maintaining a fragile trade truce. Trump extended an invitation for Xi to visit the U.S. on September 24, though the exact date for the Chinese leader's trip has not been confirmed.
Since their last meeting, the U.S. and China have continued to implement targeted economic measures against each other. These include a U.S. ban on Chinese-made robots and a Chinese prohibition on American entities engaging in trade and other activities within China.