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Wang Yi and Marco Rubio at Asean discuss Xi’s planned US visit, South China Sea clash
America’s top diplomat describes dispute between Beijing and Manila over Second Thomas Shoal as very negative and benefiting no one
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The top Chinese and American diplomats discussed President Xi Jinping’s planned visit to the US later this year and the dispute between Beijing and Manila in the South China Sea during their bilateral meeting on Wednesday.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio are in Manila for a series of Asean meetings from Monday to Thursday, including the Asean foreign ministers’ meeting which brings together 11 member states, along with ministers from Russia, Japan, Australia, Canada and Britain.
After the 90-minute meeting with Wang, Rubio said bilateral differences still existed but that their job was to manage them, noting there were areas of potential cooperation, and they discussed Xi’s planned trip to the US, Reuters reported.
He also described Monday’s clash between Beijing and Manila over the Second Thomas Shoal as very negative and benefiting no one.
When asked about the progress of arms sales to Taiwan – a sensitive subject at the China-US leaders’ meeting in May – Rubio said they were still under internal review because Washington had to take its own stockpile and availability into consideration.
“There is a huge effort on our part to restart a definite defence industrial base and restart its ability to produce,” America’s top diplomat added, without elaborating.
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