US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he had “very constructive” talks with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, at a summit in Malaysia Friday, as the two superpowers compete for influence over Asia amid global trade tensions.
Rubio said that the odds of a meeting between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump this year were high, adding there was a “strong desire on both sides.”
The meeting came as Trump threatened several Asian countries with high tariff rates effective Aug. 1, and as Beijing has sought to deepen economic ties with those nations. US-China tensions have also been high at the summit with Beijing warning Washington against reinstating hefty duties against it next month, and calling Trump’s latest tariff salvo, “typical unilateral bullying behavior.”