(AFP) – US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday he expects a “very positive” visit from Chinese President Xi Jinping to the United States in September. While the visit has yet to be officially confirmed, Rubio made it clear the White House expected it to happen, as he emerged from a meeting with China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of a summit of Southeast Asian leaders.
“I think President Xi will have a very positive visit when (he) comes to Washington,” Rubio told reporters in Manila, saying he and Wang had spoken at length, laying the groundwork for a fruitful trip. While acknowledging the two countries had “significant differences,” Rubio said they would “have to work through those.” “I think these differences will exist for the foreseeable future, and our job is to sort of manage those so that they never get out of control,” he said.
Rubio and Wang’s Wednesday sit-down came just days after the United States condemned Beijing’s actions in the disputed South China Sea and followed President Donald Trump’s recent accusations of Chinese interference in US elections. Last week, Trump denounced “shocking vulnerabilities” in the US electoral system, specifically pointing a finger at China, which he accused of hacking data in the 2020 election. Beijing has categorically denied the allegations.
On Wednesday, Rubio told reporters in Manila the two envoys “had not discussed it.” The Chinese president’s visit would follow a May trip to Beijing by Trump, who has boasted about his good relationship with Xi despite the two countries’ geopolitical rivalry. Rubio and Wang are both in Manila for a meeting of foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
On Tuesday, the United States and its allies condemned China’s “dangerous” behaviour after a clash between Chinese and Philippine sailors in the disputed South China Sea, a crucial route for global trade. In an opinion piece published on Philippine media the same day, Rubio heralded Washington’s commitment “to freedom of navigation in Southeast Asia” while reaffirming the US defensive umbrella in the region. He reaffirmed that on Wednesday in remarks to ASEAN ministers and at various meetings, including one with fellow Quad countries India, Japan, and Australia.
On Monday, the Philippine military accused the Chinese coast guard of wounding one of its sailors near a disputed islet in the South China Sea, the latest episode in a long-standing maritime dispute between the two countries. Rubio is expected to meet Thursday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
© 2024 AFP
