Good chance of Trump-Xi talks, Says Rubio

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday during a major regional summit in Malaysia. The meeting comes at a tense moment, following a new round of steep U.S. tariffs that have caused concern across Asia.

Rubio is on his first trip to Asia since taking office and is attending the ASEAN Regional Forum and the East Asia Summit. Many countries at the forum are reacting to new U.S. tariffs announced by President Donald Trump earlier this week.

In his first face-to-face meeting with Wang, Rubio said the conversation was “positive and constructive.” Both sides agreed the talks went well, despite sharp disagreements over trade.

Wang criticized the U.S. tariffs, calling them “typical unilateral bullying.” But Rubio clarified that the meeting wasn't meant to negotiate — it was to set the stage for further discussions.

Trump-Xi Meeting in the Works?
Rubio said there's a strong chance that President Trump will soon meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

“We’re two big, powerful countries... There’s a lot of work to do, but there’s also a desire on both sides to engage,” Rubio told reporters.

He emphasized that if a meeting happens, it should result in concrete outcomes, not just symbolic gestures.

China’s foreign ministry confirmed that both sides want to turn previous agreements between Trump and Xi into real actions. They also called the meeting “positive, pragmatic, and constructive.”

Tensions Over Tariffs Dominate Trip
Rubio’s visit is part of the U.S. effort to refocus on the Indo-Pacific region, after being preoccupied with the Middle East and Europe. However, the trip has been overshadowed by Trump’s sudden tariff hike on goods from several Asian countries:

• 25% on imports from Japan, South Korea, and Malaysia
• 32% for Indonesia
• 36% for Thailand and Cambodia
• 40% for Myanmar and Laos
• Over 100% for some Chinese goods

China has until August 12 to reach a deal to avoid even more tariffs.

Rubio is using the trip to argue that the U.S. is a better long-term partner for the region than China. On Friday, he also met with leaders from Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Indonesia.

Meanwhile, Wang Yi told ASEAN counterparts that U.S. tariffs were unfair and damaging to free trade and global supply chains. He said they hurt Southeast Asia’s right to develop.

In their joint statement, ASEAN foreign ministers said rising trade tensions were worrying and stressed the need to diversify trade. Without naming the U.S., they warned that unilateral tariffs risk deepening global economic divisions.

Other Diplomatic Meetings
Rubio also met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, saying they exchanged some ideas on a new approach to the Ukraine conflict. He described the talk as “constructive” but cautioned not to overhype it.

He later met with Japan’s foreign minister and South Korea’s deputy foreign minister to discuss regional security and strengthening the U.S.-Japan-South Korea alliance.

When asked about Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s comments that Japan should reduce dependence on the U.S., Rubio responded calmly:

“We have a strong alliance with Japan and continue to work very closely together.”