U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Kuala Lumpur on Friday, describing the first in-person encounter between the two officials as "constructive" despite escalating tensions over tariffs, trade policy, and China's support for Russia's war in Ukraine. The high-level meeting occurred on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum, where Southeast Asian nations voiced unease over President Donald Trump's sweeping new tariff package targeting both rivals and allies in the Indo-Pacific.
"We're two big, powerful countries, and there are always going to be issues that we disagree on," Rubio told reporters. "I think there's some areas of potential cooperation. I thought it was a very constructive, positive meeting and a lot of work to do."
Both sides characterized the meeting in positive terms, though Wang used separate bilateral meetings to criticize U.S. economic measures. "The U.S. is abusing tariffs, wrecking the free trade system and disrupting the stability of the global supply chain," Wang told Thailand's foreign minister, according to a statement from China's Foreign Ministry.
Rubio, on his first official trip to Asia since taking office, met with foreign ministers from Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea, and Japan, as well as Russia's Sergey Lavrov. His itinerary was part of an effort to reaffirm U.S. strategic commitments in the region and build support amid growing backlash against Trump's trade actions.
This week, Trump imposed fresh tariffs including 25% on imports from Japan, South Korea, and Malaysia; 32% on Indonesia; 36% on Thailand and Cambodia; and 40% on goods from Myanmar and Laos. China faces levies exceeding 100% if it fails to strike a deal with Washington by August 12.
Wang denounced the tariffs as "typical unilateral bullying behavior" during his own ASEAN engagements. In talks with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Prak Sokhonn, he warned the measures aim to "deprive all parties of their legitimate right to development."
Rubio acknowledged trade was not the focus of his talks with Wang. "I'm not the trade negotiator," he said. "We certainly appreciate the role trade plays in our bilateral relationships... but the bulk of our talks here have been about all the other things that we cooperate on."
He said that a potential meeting between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping remains highly likely. "The odds are high. I think both sides want to see it happen," Rubio said. "We have to build the right atmosphere and deliverables so that a visit isn't just a visit, but it actually has some takeaways from it that are concrete."
Security concerns dominated much of the diplomatic dialogue. Rubio reiterated U.S. opposition to China's militarization of the South China Sea and Beijing's support for Russia's war effort. "I think the Chinese clearly have been supportive of the Russian effort," Rubio said. "They've been willing to help them as much as they can without getting caught."
Wang and Lavrov held their own bilateral meeting Thursday, where both sides issued a joint statement warning against "major powers creating divisions and instigating confrontation in the region."
ASEAN foreign ministers released a communique Friday expressing concern over the rising tide of global trade tensions. Without naming the U.S., the document warned that unilateral tariffs were "counterproductive and risk exacerbating global economic fragmentation."
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas also weighed in, warning that "there are no winners in trade wars." She added: "If you start a trade war with everyone, you make your partners weaker and China stronger."
