China says ‘thorough preparations’ needed ahead of Trump-Xi meeting
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi attends a press conference on China’s foreign policy and foreign relations on the sidelines of the fourth session of the 14th National People’s Congress (NPC) in Beijing, China, March 8, 2026.
VCG | Visual China Group | Getty Images
BEIJING — China’s top diplomat Wang Yi emphasized the benefits of interaction with the United States on Sunday and signaled that preparations are underway for a planned meeting between leaders of the two countries over differences over the war in Iran and trade tariffs.
“The agenda of top-tier exchanges is already on the table,” Wang told reporters in Mandarin, according to the official translation. “What both parties need to do now is to make comprehensive preparations accordingly, create the appropriate environment, manage existing risks and eliminate unnecessary disruptions.”
“Turning our backs on each other will only lead to mutual misperception and miscalculation,” he said. “Being dragged into conflict or confrontation will only drag the whole world down.”
Following a face-to-face meeting in South Korea in the fall, Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump said: plans to visit each other’s countries.
Trump is scheduled to visit China from March 31 to April 2, which will be the first visit by a sitting US president to the country since 2017.
However, Beijing has not yet confirmed the exact dates of Trump’s visit. Wang also did not give details, but said high-level interactions between the US and Chinese presidents “provided” the situation. [an] “It is an important strategic assurance for the development and progress of China-US relations.”
Some analysts have expressed doubts about whether the trip will take place as planned, especially since it is likely to occur shortly after joint US-Israeli attacks on Iran. He killed his Religious Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the USA capture Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
Wang did not name either man in his statement to the press on Sunday morning but reiterated Beijing’s call for a ceasefire in the Iran conflict.
“This is a war that should not have happened,” he said. “A war that benefits no one.”
Wang had telephone conversations with at least seven foreign ministers. Russia, Iranian And Israel Since the joint US-Israeli attacks against Iran began on February 28, according to official statements.
He was speaking to reporters on Sunday on the sidelines of China’s eight-day annual parliament meeting, which ends on Thursday. China’s top leaders, including President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang and Vice Premier He Lifeng, are meeting in Beijing with delegates from across the country.
The tariffs in question
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The bilateral talks come after the United States and China reached a fragile truce in October to reduce tariffs on each other’s goods to below 50% for a year. The two countries had previously increased customs duties to over 100 percent last spring, when tensions were at their peak.
In response to a question about Trump singling out US-China relations as a new “G2” to lead the world, Wang pushed back against the idea that only two countries would do this, instead emphasizing multipolarity.
Wang warns against “imposing tariff barriers and pressure” without naming the US [for] economic and technological divergence.”
“This is no different than using kindling to put out a fire,” he said. “You’ll just get burned.”
