Beijing, April 30 (QNA) - Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi discussed in a phone call Thursday with his US counterpart Marco Rubio bilateral relations and ways to enhance cooperation between the two countries.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry stated in a press release that during the call, Yi urged Rubio to work towards establishing a strategic, constructive, and stable relationship based on mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and mutually beneficial cooperation.

The statement added that the Chinese foreign minister emphasized to his US counterpart that the Taiwan issue is the "biggest risk factor" in relations between the two countries, noting that "both sides must maintain the hard-won stability, prepare for high-level meetings, expand areas of cooperation, and keep points of contention under control."

The call comes two weeks before US President Donald Trump's anticipated visit to China, where he will meet with President Xi Jinping.

The visit is seen as an opportunity to ease tensions between the two countries, which last year witnessed a trade war involving the imposition of reciprocal tariffs before a settlement was reached last October following a meeting between Xi and Trump in South Korea.(QNA)