Foreign ministry says both countries will maintain close contact
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said a call between President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Donald Trump was “an arrangement that had been previously agreed”, and officials from both countries would maintain close contact. Speaking at a regular press conference, Lu declined to answer whether it was Xi or Trump who initiated the call, or how long the preparation period was that led to the call. He said “both sides will maintain close contact at working level [in preparation] for the interaction between the two countries’ senior leadership”. “The One-China principle is the political foundation of the Sino-US relations. To adhere to the one-China policy … is a responsibility that the US government should fulfil,” Lu said, adding that China “appreciates” Trump’s pledge to uphold the policy. Lu also declined to comment whether the two leaders discussed other topics, such as the disputes in the South China Sea or the US deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Defence anti-missile system in South Korea.
