Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Munich as both countries prepare for President Donald Trump’s scheduled trip to Beijing in April, Bloomberg reported.

State media Xinhua News Agency said Wang called for 2026 to be a year in which China and the US move toward mutual respect. He stressed that upholding equality, mutual respect, and reciprocity would allow the two sides to address each other’s concerns and properly manage differences.

The officials agreed to strengthen dialogue and cooperation across multiple fields and to promote stable development in bilateral relations, according to Xinhua.

The meeting coincided with preparations for a summit between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping next month. The two leaders spoke by phone last week, discussing trade issues and geopolitical flashpoints, including Taiwan.

Bloomberg noted that senior US officials visited China last week to advance preparations for “the next high-level meeting on US-China trade,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on social media. Financial markets have reacted positively to expectations of increased engagement, with the Chinese yuan strengthening this month in offshore trading.