Overview

• Their July 11 meeting in Kuala Lumpur on the ASEAN sidelines was hailed by both sides as positive, pragmatic and constructive without producing formal agreements.
• Both officials indicated a high probability of a Trump-Xi summit later this year once the right atmosphere and concrete deliverables are established.
• Rubio emphasized that the discussion was not a negotiation and did not focus on U.S.-China tariff disputes or recent Taiwan drills.
• China’s foreign ministry statement called for a “new narrative” in U.S.-China relations, stressing shared interests in South China Sea stability and broader multilateral cooperation.
• The U.S. plans to leverage strengthened dialogue to press China on reducing its support for Russia’s war in Ukraine during future engagements.