KUALA LUMPUR – July 12, 2025: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described his first in-person meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi as “positive and constructive,” raising hopes for a potential summit between President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping at a time of heightened trade tensions.
Rubio, on his maiden diplomatic visit to Asia since taking office earlier this year, met Wang Yi on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit and ASEAN Regional Forum in Malaysia. The talks came just days after Washington’s announcement of sweeping new tariffs on goods from several Asian countries — a move that has unsettled allies and further strained ties with Beijing.
The Chinese foreign minister, in separate remarks, strongly criticized the latest US tariff measures, calling them “a textbook example of unilateral bullying.” Beijing has also threatened retaliatory action against countries seen to be aligning with US efforts to isolate China from global supply chains.
Despite the tensions, both sides maintained a measured tone following Friday’s meeting, characterizing it as a step in the right direction.
“We’re two major powers with areas of disagreement, but also areas where cooperation is possible,” Rubio told reporters. “This wasn’t a negotiation session. It was about laying the foundation for further discussions. I thought it was very constructive.”
Rubio added that there is a “good chance” of a meeting between Trump and Xi in the near future. He confirmed that an invitation for President Trump to visit China remains on the table, and both leaders are “eager” for the visit to take place — though he stressed the importance of preparing tangible outcomes.
“We need to make sure a summit is not just symbolic,” Rubio said. “It should deliver something concrete — not just a photo-op.”
China’s Foreign Ministry echoed the sentiment, stating that Wang Yi had emphasized the need to turn the consensus reached by the two presidents into actual policies and actions. “Both sides agreed the meeting was positive, pragmatic, and constructive,” the ministry said in a statement.
Rubio’s Asia tour is aimed at reaffirming Washington’s commitment to the Indo-Pacific, amid criticism that US foreign policy has recently been too focused on crises in the Middle East and Europe. But his diplomatic efforts have been somewhat overshadowed by the fallout from the latest tariff hikes announced earlier this week.
The new levies — ranging from 25% on goods from Japan, South Korea, and Malaysia to as high as 40% on imports from Myanmar and Laos — have drawn concern from regional leaders, many of whom fear economic backlash and disruption to trade flows.
Still, Rubio remained optimistic. “The road ahead won’t be easy, but we’re engaging. Dialogue is better than silence — and we’re talking,” he said.
