US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday on the sidelines of the 59th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Manila, in a encounter framed by Trump’s accusations of Chinese election interference, a fresh South China Sea clash, and preparations for what could be a second Trump-Xi summit in late September.
The meeting comes amid a fragile truce between the global superpowers that could be complicated by Trump’s accusations last week of Chinese meddling in US elections, which Beijing has denied. The State Department simultaneously condemned what it called dangerous and aggressive actions by China following a clash between Chinese Coast Guard vessels and Philippine Navy personnel in the West Philippine Sea that led to ambassador summonings in both capitals.
Rubio told reporters before departing Washington that there are always going to be things we don’t agree on, but that powerful countries like ours must continue to talk and have a relationship. Trump has said Xi will visit the US at the end of September, and Rubio confirmed on Sunday the summit was still anticipated.
The meeting is Rubio’s first visit to the Philippines as secretary of state. He is also scheduled to meet counterparts from the Quad grouping of the US, Japan, India and Australia. Australia, Russia, Japan, Canada, South Korea, Britain, the EU and India are all attending the Manila meetings.
