US Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Marco Rubio held a telephone conversation with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on 11 November at Beijing's request, with discussions centred on upcoming engagements between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, as well as the possibility of a trilateral leaders' meeting involving Russian President Vladimir Putin.

According to the US account of the call, both sides revisited the commitment made by their respective leaders to maintain a constructive relationship based on strategic stability, mutual respect, fairness and reciprocity.

The two officials agreed that meaningful engagement at the leaders' level remains important for advancing shared objectives, including peace and denuclearisation. Discussions also touched on the prospect of a future trilateral meeting involving the United States, China and Russia.

China's Foreign Ministry described the exchange as positive and constructive, saying Wang Yi and Rubio conducted detailed discussions on bilateral relations and future interactions between Trump and Xi.

During the conversation, Wang highlighted Xi's recent visit to the United States, describing it as smooth and successful. He said both leaders had agreed to deepen understanding of the newly defined framework governing China-US relations and expand practical cooperation.

Wang argued that the current stability in bilateral ties had not emerged easily, but reflected a rational decision by both major powers driven by their own interests and mutual benefits.

He further stressed that Beijing's policy towards Washington would remain stable and consistent. China, he said, is prepared to strengthen communication and cooperation, responsibly manage disagreements and sensitive issues, support the successful hosting of the 2026 APEC Leaders' Informal Meeting and the G20 Leaders' Summit, and ensure that the constructive and strategically stable China-US relationship delivers tangible results.

The discussion comes as preparations continue for Trump's planned visit to China for the APEC Summit and Xi's anticipated trip to Florida for the G20 Summit, both of which are expected to provide opportunities for high-level diplomatic engagement.

Attention has also focused on the possibility of a meeting between Trump, Xi and Putin. Such an encounter is being viewed as a potential platform for broader discussions on international security, conflict resolution and nuclear risk reduction.

Rubio indicated earlier this week that efforts were under way to organise a trilateral meeting involving the three leaders on the margins of the APEC Summit.

Trump has previously expressed support for such an initiative, suggesting that direct talks with Xi and Putin could help advance efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict and promote global denuclearisation.

"Anything I can do to end the war, whether somebody’s there or not, whatever I could do to end the war," Trump said when asked whether he would meet Xi and Putin without the participation of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Highlighting the nuclear dimension of the proposed engagement, Trump added: "And they do want to have a meeting. That’s my suggestion, because I’m going to be over in China in November, on the denuclearisation. And if we can do denuclearisation, I will have done the world a big, big favour."

The Rubio-Wang Yi conversation underscores continued efforts by Washington and Beijing to preserve stable communications between the world's two largest powers amid broader geopolitical challenges, while laying the groundwork for a series of major multilateral meetings and potential leader-level diplomacy involving Russia.

ANI