By Tiffany Williams –
MANILA, Philippines — Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that the United States and China are working to prepare for a planned September visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to Washington while continuing to manage major disagreements over Taiwan, security, trade and regional stability.
Speaking to reporters at the Philippine International Convention Center in Manila, Rubio said his lengthy meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi was not a sign of tension and instead reflected the time required for translation and detailed discussions.
“Well, we talked a lot about the visit in September, and that was really the gist of it. It was just to create the groundwork for another positive visit. I think President Xi will have a very positive visit when he comes to Washington,” Rubio said.
Rubio described the United States and China as the world’s two most powerful countries and said both governments have a responsibility to maintain communication despite substantial differences.
“Look, these are the two most powerful countries in the world, particularly economics, but also – I mean, we have to have a relationship. And obviously, there are areas of great differences. Both sides will acknowledge that. We’ll have to work through those. And 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,” Rubio said.
Rubio said Taiwan and Chinese military and coast guard activity remain recurring subjects in meetings between the two governments. He said the United States continues to oppose actions it considers destabilizing and will maintain freedom-of-navigation operations in international waters.
The secretary also reaffirmed U.S. treaty commitments to the Philippines following recent tensions between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea.
“We’ve all seen it. And it’s sort of an escalatory thing that we think is very negative and benefits no one. And obviously, we’ve reiterated in every meeting we’ve had that the U.S. has a treaty arrangement with the Philippines. I believe we’re the only treaty partner the Philippines has. We intend to live up to our treaty obligations, and I think we’ve done so, and we’ll continue to do so,” Rubio said.
Much of the questioning focused on the ongoing conflict with Iran and attacks on commercial shipping. Rubio said the United States remains focused on protecting vessels traveling through international waterways and striking locations used to launch attacks.
“So right now, however, I can just say here’s what’s happening. It’s pretty straightforward. Ships are trying to go through the straits, and they’re getting blown up. Commercial ships are going through the straits, and they’re being blown up. The United States is defending that shipping and, in addition, is targeting the places that are launching against those ships to continue to degrade Iran’s ability to target and harm global shipping,” Rubio said.
Rubio said the administration remains open to diplomacy with Iran but argued that Tehran has not complied with earlier commitments involving safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
“We remain open to diplomacy. We remain open to working it out in a negotiated way. But right now, they don’t seem to be serious about that. And so we’re going to continue to protect shipping,” Rubio said.
He also encouraged other countries that depend heavily on oil and natural gas moving through the region to participate in efforts to protect commercial traffic. Rubio said the United States had discussed the issue with several governments but had not reached any new agreement Wednesday.
Rubio is expected to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Thursday. He said the war in Ukraine would be part of those discussions and suggested that changing conditions could create another opportunity for diplomacy.
“We’d like to see that war come to an end. We think it would be good for Russia if that war came to an end. So we’ll raise it. And as I said, the U.S. remains open and willing to play a constructive role in bringing that war to an end, if that opportunity presents itself,” Rubio said.
The secretary also addressed Cuba, describing the country as a failed state and rejecting suggestions that the administration had established a timeline for political change there. He said the United States had begun sending more than $100 million in humanitarian assistance that would be distributed by nongovernmental organizations.
Rubio said the administration remains concerned about Cuba’s political system, economic collapse and regional influence, but emphasized that major international changes do not happen quickly.
“Global affairs are difficult. You’re talking about a system that’s been in place since 1959. You talk about a country that’s suffered tremendously because of poor leadership and a bad economic model,” Rubio said.
Asked about a reported civilian nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia, Rubio declined to confirm the report and said any official announcement would come from the White House. He added that the United States would not enter an agreement that created a proliferation risk.
Rubio also said discussions with China over fentanyl precursor chemicals remain a work in progress. He said some Chinese commitments made earlier this year were being implemented, while others still required additional action.
The secretary concluded by defending continued U.S. engagement with China and Russia despite deep disagreements, arguing that communication between nuclear-armed powers is necessary to prevent miscalculation and broader conflict.