US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sunday he would be open to meeting with his Chinese and Russian counterparts this week while in the Philippines for a gathering of Southeast Asian foreign ministers.
Rubio’s attendance at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting in Manila comes as the United States looks to counter China’s growing regional influence, and follows closely on the heels of President Donald Trump’s accusation that Beijing had meddled in US elections.
Asked by reporters whether meetings with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi or Russia’s Sergei Lavrov were being planned, Rubio said the US would be open to such meetings, though he declined to elaborate on what might be discussed, describing those as delicate matters better left undisclosed at a press conference.
Rubio previously met with Wang on the sidelines of the ASEAN gathering in Kuala Lumpur last year, and the two also spoke by phone following Trump’s spring visit to China.
The Philippines trip marks Rubio’s first visit to the country as secretary of state, and comes at a time when regional allies are facing economic strain linked to the renewed US-Iran conflict. Speaking Sunday, Rubio described ASEAN as the primary channel through which the US engages with the region, adding that his itinerary would include a range of bilateral meetings as well as sit-downs with fellow Quad members India, Japan and Australia.
