• Wang Yi and Marco Rubio discuss ties following first call between Dong Jun and Pete Hegseth
• Exchanges come amid efforts for summit between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump

ISTANBUL

China and the US saw increased exchanges this week as top diplomats and defense chiefs of the two countries held separate calls amid efforts to bring together presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump for a summit.

Preparations are said to be underway for Trump to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Partnership (APEC) summit in South Korea next month and Seoul has requested Xi to personally attend the event.

Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun held on Tuesday his first call with his US counterpart Pete Hegseth, China's Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.

While urging respect for each other's “core interests,” Dong told Hegseth: “The acts of containment or deterrence against China will not succeed, nor will interference in China's affairs.”

Hegseth responded that while the US “does not seek conflict” with China but Washington has vital interests in the Asia-Pacific, the priority theater for Pentagon, and “will resolutely protect those interests,” according to the Defense Department.

Dong also cautioned the US against Taiwan but said Beijing wants to “uphold an open attitude” to maintain communication and engagement towards a “sound, stable China-US military relationship that is based on equality, respect and peaceful coexistence.”

Later in the day, the US State Department said Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke to his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi and stressed the importance of maintaining "open and constructive communication.”

"The two top diplomats also discussed other global and regional issues as a continuation of the discussions in Kuala Lumpur,” the State Department said, referring to their first in-person meeting in Malaysian capital in July.

At their July meeting on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum in Kuala Lumpur, both sides described the talks as positive and constructive, despite tensions on "reciprocal" US tariffs.

The calls came a week after China hosted two mega events including Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting and a massive military parade to commemorate the end of World War II.

The Beijing military parade saw Chinese, Russian and North Korean leaders, besides 24 other foreign leaders, attend the event at Tiananmen Square.

Trump accused the trio of conspiring against America, a claim rejected by both Beijing and Moscow.  

Beijing urges caution against ‘words and actions

According to China’s Foreign Ministry, Wang told Rubio that the US must “exercise caution in its words and actions, especially on issues concerning China's core interests such as Taiwan.”

“China and the United States once fought side by side during World War II to defeat militarism and fascism, while in this new era, the two sides should work together for world peace and prosperity, tackle global challenges and shoulder their due responsibilities as major countries,” said Wang.

However, he added that recent “negative words and deeds” from the US side have “undermined China's legitimate rights and interests, interfered in China's internal affairs, and are detrimental to the improvement and development of China-US relations.”

Ahead of the Beijing military parade on Sept. 3, reports emerged that US hosted Taiwanese officials in Alaska for talks. “China clearly opposes such behavior,” Wang told Rubio.

China and US are also discussing a trade deal, with Beijing securing another tariffs truce from Washington until Nov. 12.

Seoul is hosting the APEC summit in late October, raising hopes of a Xi and Trump meeting to seal the potential deal.