Rubio says US, China must ‘work through’ big differences at ASEAN meeting

What the report says

Al Jazeera, citing its staff and Reuters, reported that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday on the sidelines of an ASEAN foreign ministers’ gathering in Manila, Philippines. The talks focused on managing strains between Washington and Beijing before an expected visit to the United States by Chinese President Xi Jinping in September, where he is expected to meet President Donald Trump.

Rubio said the two countries have significant disagreements that are likely to continue, but that both sides need to handle them in a way that supports a productive high-level visit. According to a Chinese Foreign Ministry account cited in the report, Wang urged the US to respect China’s core interests, manage disputes and respond to Beijing’s concerns. China described the meeting as pragmatic and constructive, and said both sides agreed to prepare for further senior-level exchanges.

The meeting took place amid regional anxiety over the South China Sea, including a recent confrontation at the disputed Second Thomas Shoal that injured a Philippine sailor. Manila and Beijing gave conflicting accounts of the incident. Rubio said the clash helped no one and reaffirmed that the US intends to meet its treaty commitments to the Philippines. Al Jazeera also noted wider disputes over Beijing’s sweeping maritime claims, which overlap with areas claimed or used by several Southeast Asian states.

Rubio also addressed Iran during ASEAN-related meetings, accusing Tehran of not being serious about negotiations after recent US strikes, and said he planned to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday to discuss the war in Ukraine.