KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (news agencies) — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi agreed Friday to explore “areas of potential cooperation” between Washington and Beijing, and stressed the importance of managing differences, following their first in-person meeting as they wrapped up a two-day regional security forum in Malaysia.
Rubio and Wang met Friday on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, regional forum in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, as tensions between the two global powers continue to rise over trade, security, 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. “I think there’s some areas of potential cooperation. I thought it was very constructive, positive meeting and a lot of work to do.”
Both sides need to build better communications and trust, he said.
Rubio also indicated that a potential visit to China by U.S. President Donald Trump to meet with President Xi Jinping was likely, saying: “The odds are high. I think both sides want to see it happen.”
China’s Foreign Affairs Ministry, in a statement later Friday, echoed Rubio’s sentiment, calling the meeting “positive, pragmatic and constructive.”
The statement didn’t provide details on specific topics such as tariffs or China’s position on the Russia-Ukraine war, but it said that both countries agreed to “increase communication and dialogue” and “explore expanding areas of cooperation while managing differences.”
Wang called for “jointly finding a correct way for China and the U.S. to get along in the new era,” it said.
While tariffs loomed in the background, Rubio said that trade wasn’t a major focus of his talks because “I’m not the trade negotiator.”
“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,” he said.
The meeting with Wang was held less than 24 hours after Rubio met in Kuala Lumpur with another rival, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, during which they discussed potential new avenues to jumpstart Russia-Ukraine peace talks.
The high-level meetings took place amid regional unease over U.S. policies — especially Trump’s threats to impose sweeping new tariffs on both allies and adversaries. Southeast Asian leaders voiced concerns, but according to Rubio, many prioritized discussions on security issues, their concerns about Chinese domination and desire for cooperation with the U.S.
“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.”
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warned separately that the U.S.-led trade war could backfire.
“There are no winners in trade wars,” she told reporters. “If you start a trade war with everyone, you make your partners weaker and China stronger.”
