BILATERAL TALKS. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio takes part in a bilateral meeting with China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Pasay, Metro Manila on July 22, 2026.
BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/Pool via REUTERS
(1st UPDATE) The broader ASEAN meeting in Manila comes amid a flare-up in the conflict between the United States and Iran, while tension simmers between Beijing and close US ally the Philippines over an incident in the South China Sea
MANILA, Philippines – US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi for talks on Wednesday, July 22, during a regional gathering led by the Southeast Asian bloc ASEAN, where top diplomats voiced concern about renewed Middle East hostilities and tension in the South China Sea.
The two are expected to discuss a possible US summit between their leaders flagged for the end of September by President Donald Trump, with Rubio saying on Sunday it was still anticipated.
