Ties with US remain stable despite 'disruptions': FM

Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday said ties with the United States have been generally stable despite "many twists and disruptions" and called on both countries to find a way to contribute to global peace, a week before US President Donald Trump is expected to visit. During a meeting with members of a US bipartisan congressional delegation led by Republican Senator Steve Daines, Wang credited presidents Xi Jinping and Trump for "helping steer the direction of bilateral relations at critical moments." "Over the past year, China-US relations have gone through many twists and disruptions, but we have still managed to maintain overall stability," Wang said. Daines, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a strong supporter of Trump, agreed and said that both countries should look for stability. "I strongly believe that we want to de-escalate, not decouple. We want stability, we want mutual respect," he said. Daines added that after the leaders meet next week, "perhaps we could see some more Boeing airplanes purchased, which I know would be something we would like to see." The senator also recognised China's efforts to help reduce tensions in the Middle East and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. He said that Wang's meeting on Wednesday with the Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was proof of China's engagement. Ahead of Trump's visit to China, scheduled for May 14-15, the US government has been pressing Beijing to use its influence with Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, where 20 percent of the world’s oil normally flows. It was Daines' second trip to China since Trump took office again last year. He previously visited in March 2025, when the two countries were locked in frictions over trade tariffs and efforts to combat illegal fentanyl trade. (AP) Edited by Tony Sabine