China's foreign ministry said it will use Slovak President Peter Pellegrini's visit to deepen political trust, align development strategies and expand cooperation across sectors. President Xi Jinping will meet Pellegrini to map the future trajectory of China–Slovakia ties and exchange views on bilateral and international and regional issues.

China-ASEAN foreign ministers issued a joint statement on addressing the regional impact of developments in the Middle East and on strengthening regional energy cooperation. The statement welcomed ongoing diplomatic contacts, including Pakistan- and Qatar-mediated talks between the United States and Iran backed by other parties, and urged parties to pursue multilateral, sincere dialogue and a peaceful, lasting resolution through diplomacy in accordance with the UN Charter and international law.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told a regular briefing China has noted reports that in Thursday’s call President Trump told Philippine President Marcos he would raise Manila’s concerns with Xi. Lin said the US is not a party to the South China Sea issue and that attempts to provoke via external actors will only end up being used and suffer the consequences.