US, China top diplomats meet amid trade tension

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held his first in-person meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi today in Kuala Lumpur, marking a significant diplomatic encounter amid escalating trade tensions between the world’s two largest economies.

Rubio’s visit to Malaysia is his first trip to Asia since taking office, during which he is attending the East Asia Summit and the ASEAN Regional Forum alongside foreign ministers from Japan, China, South Korea, Russia, Australia, India, the European Union, and Southeast Asian nations, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

The meeting comes as Washington and Beijing face heightened friction over trade policies. The Trump administration has recently announced steep tariffs on a number of Asian countries, including U.S. allies such as Japan, South Korea, and Malaysia, sparking concerns about the future of regional economic ties. China warned the United States against reinstating hefty levies on its goods set for next month, and Beijing has also threatened retaliatory measures against countries that cooperate with the U.S. to exclude China from key supply chains.

Rubio’s visit is part of a broader U.S. strategy to renew focus on the Indo-Pacific region, shifting attention from ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and Europe. However, the impact of the new tariffs — which include 25% on Japan, South Korea, and Malaysia, 32% on Indonesia, 36% on Thailand and Cambodia, and 40% on Myanmar and Laos — has overshadowed diplomatic efforts.

During the visit, Rubio met with counterparts from Thailand, Cambodia, and Indonesia, pressing the message that the United States remains a preferred partner over China in the region. A day earlier, he emphasised to Southeast Asian foreign ministers that the Indo-Pacific remains central to U.S. foreign policy priorities.

China, which initially faced tariffs exceeding 100% during earlier rounds of trade disputes, has until August 12 to negotiate a deal with the White House to prevent the reinstatement of additional import restrictions imposed during the tit-for-tat tariff exchanges in April and May.