As trade tensions simmer, US, China stress cooperation in Malaysia talks

US 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.”

Rubio also indicated that a potential visit to China by US 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.”

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.”

While tariffs loomed in the background, Rubio said that trade wasn’t a major focus of his talks. 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 Ukraine peace talks.