Overview

• Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Kuala Lumpur on July 11, marking their first face-to-face meeting since Rubio took office.
• Both sides described the talks as constructive and clarified that no specific negotiations or policy announcements occurred during the meeting.
• They agreed to strengthen diplomatic channels at all levels, explore cooperation opportunities and manage core disagreements over trade imbalances and China’s stance on Russia’s war in Ukraine.
• Rubio defended the administration’s global tariff realignment as a necessary correction to decades of trade imbalances affecting American workers and national security.
• Both diplomats signaled high odds of a summit between President Trump and Xi Jinping later this year, saying preparations will focus on delivering concrete outcomes.