US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held his first face-to-face talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday in Kuala Lumpur, meeting on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations foreign-ministers’ gathering. The encounter was the highest-level contact between Washington and Beijing since President Donald Trump began his second term and came amid mounting concern over a renewed trade war. The hour-long session was described by both governments as “constructive” and “positive.” Rubio told reporters there is a “high probability” that Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping will meet later this year, although no date has been set. China’s foreign ministry said the two diplomats agreed to keep communication channels open, expand areas of cooperation and manage their differences. According to US officials, the discussion covered tariffs, Taiwan, the South China Sea and Beijing’s support for Russia. The meeting occurred as the White House prepares to impose 25% duties on six ASEAN economies as well as Japan and South Korea on 1 August, and just weeks before additional tariffs on Chinese goods are due to resume unless a deal is reached. Rubio’s Malaysia stop is part of his first trip to Asia as secretary of state, aimed at reassuring regional partners of Washington’s commitment to a “free and open Indo-Pacific.” ASEAN ministers have warned that escalating tariffs risk deepening global economic fragmentation, making Friday’s dialogue a tentative step toward stabilising relations between the world’s two largest economies.