Rubio to meet his Chinese counterpart on the sidelines of the ASEAN meeting on Wednesday
The U.S. State Department announced on Tuesday that Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who arrived in Manila on Tuesday, will meet his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Natio
Translated by Qiyas from كويت نيوز — Original source
The U.S. State Department announced on Tuesday that Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who arrived in Manila on Tuesday, will meet his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting in the Philippine capital on Wednesday.
The meeting comes amid Washington’s condemnation of Beijing’s “serious” actions in the South China Sea and U.S. President Donald Trump’s accusations that China interfered in U.S. election data.
Rubio and Wang met last year on the sidelines of an ASEAN gathering in Kuala Lumpur and again in Munich in February.
In an opinion piece published in Philippine media on Tuesday, Rubio reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to “freedom of navigation in Southeast Asia” while emphasizing the United States’ defensive commitment to the region.
Beijing claims sovereignty over most of the South China Sea, a vital global trade corridor, despite an international ruling confirming that its claims have no legal basis.
On Monday, Filipino sailors clashed with Chinese vessels at Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea, marking what was considered the first serious confrontation in the waters in months.
Shortly after Rubio’s arrival in the Philippines, the United States condemned what it described as China’s “dangerous and hostile” moves, calling on Beijing to halt its “destabilizing behaviors.”
Wang is expected to meet his Philippine counterpart on Wednesday.
Rubio and Wang are likely to discuss the situation in the Middle East and Trump’s recent allegations that Beijing illegally obtained 220 million records of U.S. voters during the 2020 election cycle—claims China has dismissed as “pure lies.”
Before departing Washington on Sunday, Rubio declined to say whether he would raise the election issue with Wang.
He told reporters, “These are sensitive matters, and we will see how the talks go. We will certainly discuss important issues.”
The U.S. Secretary of State stated on Sunday that he expects Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit the United States in September, following Trump’s visit to China last spring.
