Wang Yi, China's Foreign Minister and member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, carried out a series of diplomatic activities during meetings in Manila, the Philippines, holding talks with the foreign ministers of the United States and Vietnam and attending the China-ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting on 22 July.
In his meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Wang Yi called on the US side to respect China's core interests, uphold the one-China principle, handle differences between the two countries appropriately, and respond to China's legitimate concerns — this following a period in which the United States had adopted a number of stances and measures that China views as negative.
Wang Yi said that 2026 represents a critical juncture in China-US relations, following the summit in Beijing at which the leaders of both countries jointly charted the course for developing a constructive and strategically stable relationship — marking a significant step in the pursuit of peaceful coexistence between major powers.
Both sides should therefore jointly uphold the direction set by their leaders, overcome obstacles and disruptive factors, and translate the consensus reached at the leadership level into concrete understanding and action at the governmental and sectoral levels.
Wang Yi also called on China and the United States to jointly promote world peace and security by maintaining the strategic stability of the bilateral relationship, and to inject momentum into international cooperation through constructive engagement.
China and the United States agreed that the talks were positive, constructive, and substantive. They also agreed to make full use of political and diplomatic channels to prepare for the next round of high-level exchanges and to advance China-US relations toward greater stability.
On the same day, Wang Yi met with Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son, stating that China and Vietnam should prioritize long-term development interests, strengthen solidarity, and upgrade their cooperation to make it more effective.
Wang Yi said that, as socialist countries and large developing nations, China and Vietnam should earnestly implement the mutual understanding reached by the leaders of both countries and both parties, continue to elevate high-level exchanges, and expand cooperation in various fields — particularly in infrastructure connectivity and artificial intelligence (AI).
In addition, the two countries should jointly preserve a regional environment conducive to peace and development.
Bui Thanh Son said that Vietnam is ready to work with China to elevate exchanges at all levels and promote concrete cooperation in railways, agriculture, and other sectors, while strengthening communication and coordination within multilateral frameworks in order to safeguard the common interests of both countries and the region.
Meanwhile, at the China-ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting, Wang Yi highlighted the achievements of the China-ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partnership over the past five years, summarizing key areas of progress that have further strengthened ties between the two sides.
Among the key achievements was the advancement in building a community with a shared future between China and its neighbors, with China having reached understandings with eight ASEAN member states to establish bilateral communities with a shared future.
In terms of trade and the economy, China and ASEAN have remained each other's largest trading partners for six consecutive years. Following the signing of the protocol upgrading the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area to Version 3.0, the value of trade between the two sides in 2025 exceeded one trillion US dollars, or approximately 33.7 trillion baht.
China and ASEAN also demonstrated solidarity in responding to various crises, with China swiftly providing emergency disaster relief following devastating earthquakes in Myanmar and on the Philippine island of Mindanao.
People-to-people exchanges have continued to expand, with nearly 200 major events held during the 2024-2025 ASEAN-China Year of People-to-People Exchanges, alongside the launch of an ASEAN visa program to facilitate cross-border travel.
Wang Yi's diplomatic activities in Manila reflect China's efforts to maintain stable relations with major powers while simultaneously expanding cooperation with neighboring countries and ASEAN across the political, economic, technological, connectivity, and people-to-people dimensions.
Source: Xinhua News Agency
