Overview

• Rubio held his first face-to-face meeting with Wang Yi in Kuala Lumpur, which both sides hailed as constructive and positive.
• They agreed to strengthen diplomatic channels and communication at all levels.
• The discussion covered strategic disagreements over Taiwan and the Russia-Ukraine conflict, with Wang lodging no complaint about Taiwanese drills and Rubio warning of China’s covert support for Russia.
• Rubio signaled a high probability of a Trump-Xi summit later this year, emphasizing that both leaders want to see it happen.
• The meeting paved the way for continued negotiations before global tariff adjustments scheduled for August 1, which Rubio defended as a long-overdue trade realignment.