Key facts
- U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is traveling to Manila for Asia-Pacific meetings.
- Rubio is expected to meet with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
- The meetings aim to prepare for a potential summit between President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
- Tensions in the South China Sea and Southeast Asian scam centers are on the agenda.
- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is also expected to attend the meetings.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to attend a series of Asia-Pacific meetings in Manila, where he is expected to engage with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi. These discussions are anticipated to lay the groundwork for a potential summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping later this year. The gatherings occur amidst significant global instability, including disruptions to trade from the Iran war.
Rubio's itinerary includes the ASEAN Post-Ministerial Conference, the East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers' Meeting, and the ASEAN Regional Forum Foreign Ministers' Meeting. He will also hold bilateral meetings with senior officials from Indo-Pacific nations. While the U.S. and China have not officially confirmed a meeting between their top diplomats, it is widely anticipated, following previous engagements.
Analysts suggest that preparations for a potential September summit between Trump and Xi will be a key focus. Despite a temporary trade truce established in October, U.S.-China relations remain defined by deep differences, which many observers characterize as a new form of Cold War.
Discussions at the forum are also slated to address rising tensions in the South China Sea, a region with multiple territorial disputes. The situation in Myanmar, following a 2021 coup, will also be a topic, with ASEAN foreign ministers having recently held informal talks with Myanmar's foreign minister. Experts anticipate Rubio will reiterate U.S. criticism of China's actions in the South China Sea in a measured manner, while also addressing concerns over Southeast Asian scam centers impacting Americans.