US, China must find ‘correct way’ to get along, Wang tells Rubio in first in-person meet
On Asean sidelines in Kuala Lumpur, US secretary of state says odds of presidents Xi and Trump meeting this year are high
China and the United States agreed to strengthen dialogue “at all levels” and deepen cooperation during “constructive” talks between their top diplomats on Friday, according to Beijing.
Foreign Minister Wang Yi told US Secretary of State Marco Rubio he hoped Washington would approach China “in an equal, respectful and mutually beneficial manner” and “find a correct way for China and the US to get along”, according to a Chinese foreign ministry statement.
“[The two sides] agreed to strengthen diplomatic channels and communication and dialogue at all levels across various fields … and explore expanding areas of cooperation while managing differences,” it said.
It is the first in-person sit-down meeting between the two diplomats since Rubio assumed his position in January.
Speaking after the meeting, Rubio said the US and China had issues that they disagreed on but that the talks “gave us some things we can work on together”.
“Obviously there are some issues we’re going to have to work through and that’s to be expected with countries of our size and scope and influence in the world … but I thought it was a very constructive and positive meeting,” he said.
Rubio said his key message to Wang was that there was an opportunity for the two rival powers to achieve some strategic stability and identify areas where they could cooperate and build better communication and trust.
Asked about the prospects of a meeting this year between the top leaders, Rubio said “the odds are high” but the two sides had to “build the right atmosphere and the right deliverables”.
“There’s a strong desire on both sides to do it … I don’t have a date for you but I think it’s coming. It will happen,” he said.
“I’m sure we’ll work on a date and find a mutually acceptable date for both sides, and I’m pretty confident we want it to be a good meeting. We’re going to work hard between now and whatever date that is to make sure that when that visit does happen, it’s as productive as possible.”
The American official did not elaborate on what he discussed with Wang but said the meeting was “not a negotiation” on contentious issues, such as Taiwan, and was instead about “establishing a constructive baseline where we can continue to talk on multiple fronts”.
“We have to be able to interact with one another, and it’s just impossible for the foreign ministers of our respective countries to not engage in conversation,” he said.
“So I’m glad we had that meeting today. There’s a lot of work to be done. No one’s saying it’s easy, but we do have some opportunities on some things we might be able to work on to begin to build some momentum in our relationship.”
The Chinese statement said only that the two diplomats traded views on US-China ties and other issues of shared concern.
According to the US State Department, the two parties agreed to explore areas of potential cooperation while seeking to manage differences.
“The secretary emphasised the need for continued discussion on a range of bilateral issues. The secretary also raised other issues of regional and global importance,” the department said.
Friday’s talks between Rubio and Wang lasted about an hour, in line with previous meetings between the Chinese foreign minister and key US officials conducted on conference sidelines.
Wang’s meeting with former US secretary of state Antony Blinken in July last year – held in Laos, also during the Asean gathering – lasted close to 90 minutes.
Ties soured considerably after US President Donald Trump slapped hefty duties on Chinese goods as part of his “Liberation Day” tariffs in April. China retaliated fiercely, culminating in tit-for-tat tariffs. At one point, Trump’s tariffs on Chinese goods stood at 145 per cent.
Tensions appear to have eased since then, with the two sides reaching an agreement on export controls. Trump also held a call with Chinese President Xi Jinping in June, with Xi calling for deeper communication to “clear up misunderstandings”.
During the phone call, Xi also invited Trump and his wife to visit China, and Trump extended a reciprocal invitation.
Rubio, who is also the US national security adviser and known for his hawkish stance on China, has been sanctioned twice by Beijing, making him the first sitting secretary of state to face such measures.
Analysts earlier suggested that a meeting between Wang and Rubio in Malaysia could pave the way for more regular communication between the two countries. It could also be a neutral venue for the two diplomats to engage and prepare for a possible visit by Trump to Beijing.
In their phone conversation in January, Wang told Rubio that the two countries should find a way to get along, and that China had “no intention to overtake or replace any country but [it] must safeguard its legitimate rights to development”.
The Chinese foreign minister also urged the US to handle the Taiwan issue “with caution”, stressing that Beijing “will never allow Taiwan to be separated from the motherland”.
Beijing sees Taiwan as part of China to be reunited by force if necessary, and calls it the “core of its core interests”. The US, like most countries, does not recognise Taiwan as an independent state but is opposed to any attempt to take the self-governed island by force and is committed to supplying it with weapons.
“I think the Chinese clearly have been supportive of the Russian effort, and I think that generally they’ve been willing to help them as much as they can without getting caught,” he told reporters.