Rubio: Trump and XI is very likely to meet 2023

Rubio: Trump and XI is very likely to meet 2023

President Donald Trump and Chinese head of state XI Jinping could meet this year, according to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. "The probability is high," Rubio told journalists in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Friday. “Both sides want it to happen.”

First personal meeting of Foreign Minister

Rubio could not call a specific date for the possible meeting, but emphasized the “strong wish on both sides”. The US Foreign Minister met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Kuala Lumpur on Friday. This was the first personal meeting of the two Foreign Minister at a time when the USA and China have to deal with trade conflicts and compete for influence in Asia.

constructive conversation between the nations

The one -hour meeting described Rubio as “very constructive” and “positive”. He said: "We are two large, powerful countries, and there will always be topics in which we are different. I found it a very constructive, positive meeting, and there is still a lot to do."

Current trade relationships

The trade relationships between the USA and China have been tense this year since Trump took office. First there was an escalating customs dispute, which was triggered by Trump's global trade wars and clashes about export controls. However, the tensions were reduced when both sides agreed in London last month. The US Finance Minister Scott Bessent announced that he will meet his Chinese counterparts in the coming weeks.

positive tone in the negotiations

Both sides were optimistic that the meeting between Wang and Rubio was productive and characterized by a positive tone. Rubio said the conversation had given the two countries the opportunity to identify areas in which they can work together, but without calling specific cooperation areas. "That was our message - that we have the opportunity to achieve some strategic stability and identify areas in which we can work together," he added.

China's reaction to US tariffs

Chinese officials and threatened with retaliation if the United States hit trade agreements with other partners who are at the expense of Chinese interests. This indicates that Beijing sees the USA as a partner who uses agreements with other countries to burden its own economy.

Rubios visit to Asia

Rubios first trip to Asia as head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is also complicated by Trump's trade war. In the past few days, the US government has sent letters to several countries in which the customs tariffs are announced that they can expect within less than a month, provided that they do not close trade agreements with the USA.

focus on Indo-Pacific region

eight of the ten ASEAN countries, together with South Korea and Japan, will be affected by US tariffs on August 1 if the deadline is kept. For Wang, the Chinese Foreign Minister, this has created an opportunity to send a message that China is still a stable economic partner for the region. In conversations with his Asean-Amtsmollegen, he said that China always considered Asean as a priority for his regional diplomacy.

commitment of the United States in the region

government officials have positioned Rubios trip as part of the efforts to demonstrate Washington's commitment to the region, where China is an important economic partner, but also has tensions with countries like the Philippines with regard to its aggressive in the South Chinese Sea. "In his first trip to Asia as Foreign Minister, Rubio focuses on confirming the commitment of the United States for the promotion of a free, open, open and safe Indo-Pacific region," said Tammy Bruce, spokeswoman for the Foreign Ministry.

tackle the retail weight

Rubio rejected the idea that US tariffs could create an economic opportunity for China in the region, and emphasized that Washington was determined to remedy the “enormous trade weights” with countries that have been accumulated over the past few decades. "We set the customs tariffs with almost every country in the world," said Rubio, and noticed that such imbalances are "unfair to America and American employees".

A look at the trade statistics