Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said he hoped the United States would meet China halfway.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi by phone on Oct. 27.
Chinese state-run media outlet Xinhua reported that Wang said he hoped for the development of continued bilateral relations. Wang referenced the recent trade framework agreement that U.S. and Chinese negotiators reached in Kuala Lumpur, and said he hoped the United States would meet China halfway.
Rubio recently said in press remarks that a diplomatic relationship with China is necessary "because of the size and importance of our countries," especially when it comes to global trade.
The call comes ahead of a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader Xi Jinping, which will take place on Oct. 30 at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea.
U.S. and Chinese negotiators have already agreed on a framework for a deal, which Trump and Xi are set to finalize in their bilateral meeting.
Trump has told reporters the United States has a long list of demands, topped by China's rare earths exports, its purchases of U.S. soybeans, and its role in the fentanyl crisis. The list is wide-ranging and also includes Taiwan and the release of political prisoner Jimmy Lai.
Chinese negotiators told reporters after meetings in Malaysia that the United States had presented a "tough" position. Chinese state media also reported that the sides had come to a consensus that needed the leaders' approvals.
Rubio's call with Wang took place on the 27th anniversary of the International Religious Freedom (IRF) Act, which Rubio commemorated in a separate statement the same day. The IRF makes religious freedom a cornerstone in U.S. foreign policy.
"Hundreds of millions of people of faith around the world face threats of violence, imprisonment, and death for simply living out their faith. Religious persecution destabilizes countries, undermines hope for peace, and attacks a core truth recognized by our Founding Fathers: that faith is essential to human flourishing and a free society," the statement reads.
The Chinese communist regime ranks as one of the world's worst human rights offenders and is considered hostile to religious freedom by international human rights bodies such as Freedom House and Amnesty International.