China, US In Close Communication On Possible Meeting Between Presidents

By Kisho Kumari Sucedaram

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 27 (Bernama) -- China and the United States are maintaining close communication on a potential meeting between their two heads of state, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun.

Responding to questions on the possible meeting and its agenda, Guo said both countries are in discussion, and any updates on the matter will be released in a timely way.

The response came amid remarks by US President Donald Trump in Malaysia, where he expressed optimism about finalising a trade deal and said that the Chinese leader is expected to visit Washington next year.

“Heads-of-state diplomacy plays an irreplaceable role in providing strategic guidance for China-US relations,” he said in a statement published on the China Foreign Ministry website today. 

Yesterday, Trump, who was in Malaysia for the 47th ASEAN Summit, expressed optimism for a potential trade deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping during their meeting on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in South Korea later this week.

The potential meeting between Beijing and Washington is seen as a key opportunity to stabilise bilateral ties, which have been under strain over trade, technology and regional security issues.

According to media reports, China’s top trade negotiator Li Chenggang and Vice Premier He Lifeng met US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit, and the trade talks yielded positive outcomes. 

-- BERNAMA