US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Friday in Kuala Lumpur, amid the trade war between the two countries.In the meeting they agreed to look for “areas of potential cooperation” between Washington and Beijing. These high-level meetings took place amid Trump’s threats to impose 10% tariffs on the BRICS countries, including China and India.Their first in-person meeting took place on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) regional security forum in Malaysia’s capital. This meeting came as tensions between the two countries remain high over trade disputes, security issues, and China’s support for Russia’s war in Ukraine.“Look, we’re two big, powerful countries, and there are always going to be issues that we disagree on,” Rubio told reporters after the meeting. He described the talks as constructive and positive, but said there was still a lot of work to do. He also emphasised the need for better communication and trust.Rubio also suggested US President Donald Trump might visit China to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping. “The odds are high. I think both sides want to see it happen,” he said.China’s Foreign Ministry in a statement described the meeting as “positive, pragmatic and constructive.” It further added that both countries agreed to “increase communication and dialogue” and “explore expanding areas of cooperation while managing differences.”Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi had called for “jointly finding a correct way for China and the US to get along in the new era” in the statement.While trade disputes remain a major source of tension, Rubio said they were not the main topic of discussion this time. “I’m not the trade negotiator,” he said, adding that the talks focused on other areas of cooperation.“We certainly appreciate the role trade plays in our bilateral relationships with individual countries. But the bulk of our talks here have been about all the other things that we cooperate on,” Rubio said.Rubio’s meeting with Wang came less than 24 hours after he met Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov in Kuala Lumpur. There, they discussed possible new ways to restart Russia-Ukraine peace talks.These high-level meetings took place amid concerns in Southeast Asian countries about US policies, especially President Trump’s threats to impose new tariffs on allies and rivals alike. Rubio emphasised that while trade remained a concern for many countries, however, security issues and China’s growing domination remained crucial topics of discussion.“Of course, it’s raised. It’s an issue,” Rubio said. “But I wouldn’t say it solely defines our relationship with many of these countries. There are a lot of other issues that we work together on, and I think there was great enthusiasm that we were here and that we’re a part of this.”President Trump views China as America’s biggest competitor, especially in trade and technology. His administration has warned about possible new tariffs on Chinese goods, though negotiations have made little progress.
