On January 3, Yang Jiechi, Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, made a telephone call with US Secretary of State Pompeo at the latter's request.

The United States elaborated its position on the current situation in the Middle East.

Yang Jiechi said, China is highly concerned about the current situation in the Middle East. China has always advocated that differences should be resolved through dialogue and consultation and opposed the use of force in international relations. It is hoped that all parties concerned, especially the US side, should exercise restraint, return to the track of finding a solution to the problem through dialogue as soon as possible, and work for cooling down the tension.

The two sides also exchanged views on Sino-US relations.