China's foreign minister Wang Yi, in meeting with Rubio: hopes US to look at China rationally, objectively - Chinese state media

China's foreign minister Wang Yi, in meeting with Rubio: hopes US to look at China rationally, objectively - Chinese state media

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday, marking their first face-to-face encounter since Rubio took office. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) forum, where both the U.S. and China are seeking to influence Southeast Asian nations despite regional wariness of alignment [1].

The meeting comes at a time of heightened tensions between the U.S. and China, particularly over trade and defense issues. Secretary Rubio emphasized the need to discuss Beijing's support for Russia's war in Ukraine, stating, "The Chinese clearly have been supportive of the Russian effort. I think that, generally, they’ve been willing to help them as much as they can without getting caught" [1].

Wang Yi, in a statement to Chinese state media, expressed hope that the U.S. would view China rationally and objectively. He also criticized recent U.S. tariff threats, stating, "The U.S. is abusing tariffs, wrecking the free trade system and disrupting the stability of the global supply chain" [3].

The meeting is part of a broader U.S. effort to shift focus towards the Indo-Pacific region, as the Trump administration's attention has been dominated by conflicts in the Middle East and Europe. However, this effort has been overshadowed by the recent announcement of significant U.S. tariffs on several Asian countries and U.S. allies [2].

Analysts believe that Secretary Rubio will use this visit to emphasize the U.S.'s reliability as a partner, contrasting it with China's growing influence in the region. The meeting comes amidst global concerns about U.S. trade policies, which have led to significant shifts in global trade patterns, with China's exports to the U.S. plunging over 43% year-over-year in May [2].

References:

[1] https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/07/10/rubio-meets-chinese-counterpart/
[2] https://www.benzinga.com/news/politics/25/07/46362002/marco-rubio-holds-talks-with-chinas-wang-yi-at-east-asia-summit-amid-escalating-us-china-trade-tensions
[3] https://apnews.com/article/us-china-russia-asean-82467600bcf2b97b5729f34676ceeb2a