BEIJING — China's top diplomat, Wang Yi, highlighted the benefits of interacting with the United States during a press conference on China's foreign policy. This event took place alongside the fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) on March 8, 2026, in Beijing, China.
Wang Yi emphasized the significance of high-level exchanges and indicated that preparations are underway for a planned meeting between leaders from both countries. This comes in the wake of ongoing disputes over the war in Iran and trade tariffs.
According to an official translation of Wang's remarks in Mandarin Chinese, he stated, "The agenda of high-level exchanges is already on the table. What the two sides need to do now is make thorough preparations accordingly, create a suitable environment, manage the risks that do exist and remove unnecessary disruptions."
He warned against a breakdown in communication, saying, "Turning our backs on each other would only lead to mutual misperception and miscalculation. Sliding into conflict or confrontation would only drag the whole world down."
Following an in-person meeting in South Korea last fall, Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump expressed intentions to visit each other's countries. President Trump is scheduled to visit China from March 31 to April 2, marking the first such trip by a sitting U.S. president since 2017. However, Beijing has not yet confirmed the exact dates for Trump's visit.
While Wang Yi did not provide further details, he emphasized that high-level interactions between the U.S. and Chinese presidents have "provided [an] important strategic safeguard for the China-U.S. relationship to improve and move forward."