Rubio Says Odds for Trump–Xi Meeting Are High

Top U.S. and Chinese diplomats had their first in-person meeting, which Rubio described as ’very constructive‘ and ’positive.’

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio gives a media briefing during the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting at the Convention Center in Kuala Lumpur on July 11, 2025. Mandel Ngan /POOL/AFP via Getty Images

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed optimism about the possibility of a meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping after an exchange with his Chinese counterpart on July 11.

Rubio met with China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Forum in Malaysia. Although the two top diplomats had spoken by phone in January, it marked their first in-person meeting since Rubio assumed office earlier this year.