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BEIJING, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Liu He held a telephone conversation with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Monday at the request of the U.S. side.

The two sides exchanged opinions on economic and trade issues in line with the instructions made by the two heads of state.

The two sides agreed to continue to maintain contact.

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Iran’s U.N. ambassador warned Monday that the situation in the Persian Gulf is “very dangerous” and called talks with the U.S. impossible in the face of escalating sanctions and intimidation, while the U.S. envoy said the Trump administration’s aim is to get Tehran back to negotiations.

BEIJING (AP) — Major Asian stock markets declined Tuesday as traders looked ahead to a meeting between the American and Chinese presidents amid hopes for renewed trade talks.

Benchmarks in Tokyo, Shanghai and Hong Kong declined. Seoul and Sydney were little-changed.

Investors were encouraged by the announcement that top U.S. and Chinese negotiators, Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Vice Premier Liu He, talked Monday by phone. No details were released.

24 June 2019; MEMO: According to documents released by the White House, the economic aspect of Donald Trump’s peace plan between Palestine and Israel includes granting $9 billion to Egypt, half of which is in the form of soft loans.

The documents revealed that $50 billion will be dedicated to the economic part of the deal of the century, which will be invested in the revival of the Palestinian territories, as well as Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt.

24 June 2019; DW: Arab countries have reaffirmed a pledge to pay $100 million a month to the Palestinian Authority. The move comes a day after the Palestinians rejected a US investment plan to boost their economy.

Arab finance ministers meeting in Cairo have renewed a promise to beef up the Palestinian Authority's (PA) budget to the tune of $100 million (€88 million) a month.

24 June 2019; DW: China said on Monday that it would not allow the Group of 20 nations to discuss the situation in Hong Kong when the group of world economic powers meets in Japan later this week.

Hong Kong has been the site of massive protests this month as demonstrators demanded the withdrawal of a bill that would allow people to be extradited to mainland China to face trials in courts controlled by the Communist Party. Protesters have also called on the city's leader, Carrie Lam, to step down.

Beijing, Jun 24; GANASHAKTI: Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and other leaders of the BRICS grouping during the G20 Summit in Japan this week where the talks would be focussed on opposing the "unilateralist" and "protectionist" trade policies of the US, a senior Chinese minister said on Monday.

TOKYO, June 24. /TASS/: Japan intends to allow imports of fresh chicken from Russia as part of earlier reached agreements on the expansion of bilateral trade as well as to help to meet the growing domestic demand for the product, Nikkei Asian Review daily reported on Monday.

According to the daily, a relevant agreement is expected to be signed following a meeting of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Osaka on June 28-29.

BANGKOK (AP) — Shares were mostly higher in Asia on Monday as investors watched for movement in the China-U.S. trade dispute ahead of a meeting between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping planned for later this week in Osaka, Japan, at the Group of 20 summit.

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese and U.S. trade negotiators are in contact on ways of resolving disputes ahead of an expected meeting between their heads of state at the G-20 summit in Japan later this week, a Chinese official said Monday.

The sides were seeking to “consolidate the important consensus reached between the two leaders” in a telephone call last week, Wang Shouwen, a Commerce Ministry vice minister, told reporters. Wang gave no details about specific issues under discussion.