US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Wednesday on the sidelines of an ASEAN summit in Manila, a State Department official said. The meeting comes amid heightened tensions following US condemnation of Beijing's actions in the contested South China Sea and allegations of Chinese interference in the 2020 US elections.
Background and Context
Rubio and Wang are both in Manila for a meeting of foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). This meeting follows their previous encounters last year in Kuala Lumpur and in Munich earlier this year. Tensions have been escalating in the South China Sea, a vital global trade route, where China claims sovereignty over nearly the entire area despite an international ruling against its claims.
Key Issues on the Table
Rubio recently reaffirmed Washington's commitment to "freedom of navigation in Southeast Asia" and the US defensive umbrella in the region. The upcoming meeting is likely to address the recent clash between Philippine and Chinese sailors at the Second Thomas Shoal, as well as US President Donald Trump's claims that China acquired 220 million US voter files during the 2020 election cycle—a claim China has denied as "pure fabrications."
Future Diplomatic Engagements
Before his departure from Washington, Rubio hinted at the possibility of Chinese President Xi Jinping visiting the United States in September, following Trump's trip to China last spring. Wang is also expected to meet his Philippine counterpart on Wednesday, further complicating the diplomatic landscape in the region.