US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday said there is a “high probability” of a meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, though no date has been set yet.
Rubio made the remarks while speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit and ASEAN Regional Forum in Malaysia. His comments followed a nearly hour-long meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, the first in-person talks between the two officials since Rubio took office in January.
Describing the meeting as “very constructive,” Rubio acknowledged that “issues” remain between the two sides. The remark comes amid heightened tensions over Washington’s renewed tariff offensive.
The talks come at a time when relations between the US and China are under strain, with Beijing warning against the reinstatement of steep American tariffs. The Trump administration this week imposed a new wave of levies, ranging from 25 per cent to 40 per cent, on imports from several Asian countries including Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos.
In response, Wang slammed the US duties as “typical unilateral bullying behaviour” during his meetings in Kuala Lumpur. He told counterparts from Malaysia, Thailand, and Cambodia that the tariffs were undermining the global free trade system and threatening the stability of production and supply chains.
“We believe that Southeast Asian countries have the ability to cope with complex situations… and safeguard their own interests,” he said, according to the Chinese foreign ministry.
Rubio’s trip is aimed at reinforcing US engagement in the Indo-Pacific region, amid rising competition with China. He also raised concerns over Beijing’s support for Russia in the Ukraine war, saying China had “been willing to help them as much as they can without getting caught.”
While in Malaysia, Rubio also met with his counterparts from Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Cambodia, and Indonesia. The US State Department said his talks with Japan and South Korea focused on strengthening their “indispensable trilateral partnership,” particularly in areas like critical technologies and supply chain resilience.
ASEAN foreign ministers, meanwhile, voiced concern over rising trade tensions. In a joint statement, they said unilateral tariffs, without directly naming the US, were “counterproductive” and risked “exacerbating global economic fragmentation.” They also called for stronger trade ties with new and emerging partners, and reaffirmed support for a fair and transparent multilateral trading system.
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(With inputs from Reuters)
