US, China Foreign Ministers to Meet in Manila on ASEAN sidelines

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Manila, Philippines, on the sidelines of a gathering of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, a U.S. State Department official said Tuesday. The two top diplomats will convene in Manila, where foreign ministers from the 11-member ASEAN and major partners have gathered this week to discuss a range of global issues. Analysts have suggested that a meeting between Secretary Rubio and his Chinese counterpart was likely to focus on preparations for a second meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, following their initial encounter last May. President Trump has stated that President Xi will visit the U.S. at the end of September, and Secretary Rubio affirmed on Sunday that the summit remains anticipated. "I have no reason to believe that they won’t be coming. It’s important," he told reporters as he departed for ASEAN. U.S.-China relations have seen stabilization under a temporary trade truce reached by President Trump and President Xi in October. However, deep-seated differences continue to define ties between the two nations, which many analysts view as being mired in a new form of Cold War. "There are always going to be irritants, there are always going to be things we don’t agree on, but I think it’s incumbent on powerful and important countries like ours to continue to talk and have a relationship," Secretary Rubio told reporters. This meeting is also significant in the context of the Philippines' geopolitical challenges, including bilateral tensions in the South China Sea and concerns over China's maritime assertiveness in the region. Manila has maintained a firm stance against Chinese activities within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and seeks enhanced security cooperation with the United States. Direct dialogue between the top diplomats of the U.S. and China at a multilateral forum like ASEAN could hold considerable importance for regional stability.