Takeaways from Foreign Minister Wang Yi at China’s ‘two sessions’

Foreign Minister Wang Yi faced global media on Sunday morning to outline Beijing’s positions on key issues, ranging from the expanding crisis in Iran to China’s deepening dispute with Japan.The annual briefing, held as part of the annual “two sessions”, came as China sought to project its leadership and influence amid mounting global instability and manage its strategic rivalry with the US.This year, the top Chinese diplomat fielded 21 questions in a briefing that lasted nearly 90 minutes.Here are some key takeaways.‘Big year’ for US-China relationsWang offered a rather positive outlook for US-China relations, just weeks before US President Donald Trump is expected to make a landmark visit to China.He said Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping had brought the bilateral relationship “back to an even keel after ups and downs”. Wang added that this year would be a “big year” for ties with high-level exchanges on the agenda.