Rubio and Wang Yi to Hold Talks at ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting on July 11
First In-Person Meeting Since the Trump Administration Began
Key Agenda: Tariffs, Ukraine War, and Regional Security
The top diplomats of the United States and China are set to meet for the first time since the launch of the Donald Trump administration to discuss issues such as tariffs and the war in Ukraine.
According to AFP and other sources on July 11 (local time), the US State Department announced that Secretary of State Marco Rubio will hold talks with Wang Yi, Director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China and Minister of Foreign Affairs, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Foreign Ministers' Meeting is taking place.
This meeting marks the first face-to-face talks between the two foreign ministers. The previous day, Secretary Rubio stated that he is highly likely to raise US concerns about China's support for Russia in the Ukraine war when he meets with Director Wang. He said, "China has clearly supported Russia's efforts in the war, and I believe China is willing to help Russia as much as possible as long as it does not get caught."
The US-China tariff war, which is currently in a temporary truce, is also a key issue as President Trump has recently notified various countries of the imposition of high reciprocal tariffs. In the first round of high-level US-China trade talks held in May, the two countries agreed to significantly reduce tariffs on each other's products for 90 days. As a result, additional US tariffs on Chinese goods dropped from 145% to 30%, while Chinese tariffs on US goods fell from 125% to 10%.
However, if the two countries fail to reach an agreement during the tariff truce period, tariffs could soar back to triple digits as early as next month. Furthermore, the situation has become more complicated as President Trump has threatened to impose additional tariffs on BRICS member countries, including China and Russia.
There is also speculation that other contentious issues between the US and China, such as Taiwan and the South China Sea, may be discussed during this meeting.
On the same day, Secretary Rubio and Director Wang will both attend the East Asia Summit (EAS) Foreign Ministers' Meeting and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Foreign Ministers' Meeting, where they will discuss regional security issues.
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