Local time December 20, 2015,Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who was visiting Cyprus, held telephone talks at request with Secretary of State John Kerry of the US.

John Kerry expressed that the UN Security Council just adopted the Resolution on the political settlement of the Syrian issue, and China made important contribution to and played a positive role in this. Wang Yi noted that the Resolution identifies the general direction of the political settlement of the Syrian issue and emphasizes that the future and fate of Syria should be independently decided by the Syrian people, exerting important and positive significance to the progress of the Syrian issue in the next stage. The Chinese side hopes to take it as an opportunity to earnestly advance the political settlement of the Syrian issue.

John Kerry notified Wang Yi of the latest situation of the implementation of the comprehensive agreement on the Iranian nuclear issue, thanked the Chinese side for its important role, especially in the modification of Arak reactor and expressed his hope that the Chinese side can continue to offer assistance.

Wang Yi noted that at present, the world is indeed facing various global challenges that require concerted efforts of all sides. When seeking cooperation with China, the US should respect the core interests and major concerns of China. Wang Yi expounded China's solemn position on the Taiwan and South China Sea issues, asked the US side to halt its arms sale to Taiwan and stop sending ships and planes to the waters near islands and reefs of China's Nansha Islands to showoff military power.

John Kerry expressed that the US side is willing to take China's concerns into serious consideration, and adhere to the­ One-China policy and stick to the three China-US Joint Communiqués. The US side is willing to earnestly exchange views with the Chinese side on issues that may affect US-China cooperation and well preserve the momentum of bilateral cooperation.