Foreign Minister Wang Yi has cautioned that many issues between China and the United States still need to be resolved, and said that the path towards a meeting between the leaders of the two countries next month “will not be smooth sailing".

The Foreign Ministry in Beijing said Wang made the comments at a meeting with what it described as “people from the US strategic community” in Washington, hosted by the Aspen Strategy Group.

The ministry quoted Wang as saying that he had “conducted in-depth, constructive and substantive strategic communications on many issues of common concern in an attitude of equality and mutual respect” during his visit to the US capital last week.

“Both sides agreed to work together towards achieving the San Francisco heads-of-state meeting,” the ministry added, referring to hopes of a face-to-face discussion between President Xi Jinping and US leader Joe Biden on the sidelines of the Apec Summit in the Californian city.

“At the same time, the ‘road to San Francisco’ will not be smooth sailing and cannot rely on ‘autonomous driving’”, the ministry quoted Wang as saying.

Wang said both sides must implement the consensus reached by the two leaders during their previous meeting in Bali and “eliminate interference, overcome obstacles, enhance consensus, and accumulate results”.

The ministry said Wang’s discussion also covered areas such as finance, technology, and cultural exchanges and cooperation, as well as the situation in the Middle East and Ukraine.