United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Wednesday to discuss managing bilateral tensions ahead of a planned summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) foreign ministers' gathering in Manila, Philippines.

The discussions occurred amidst heightened tensions over China's actions in the disputed South China Sea and broader geopolitical disagreements. ASEAN countries have also voiced concerns regarding these issues during the ministerial meeting.

Rubio acknowledged that significant differences exist between the U.S. and China, which are likely to continue for the foreseeable future. However, he and Wang Yi focused on the necessity of managing these disagreements to ensure President Xi Jinping has a "very positive visit" to the U.S. in September.

According to an official Chinese summary, Wang stated that the U.S. must "respect China’s core interests… effectively manage differences and disagreements, and address China’s legitimate concerns." The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the talks as "pragmatic, positive and constructive" and indicated that both sides agreed to "make sound preparations for the next stage of high-level exchanges."

The meeting followed a recent confrontation between Chinese and Philippine vessels in the South China Sea, which resulted in an injury to a Philippine sailor. The incident at the Second Thomas Shoal saw the Philippines accuse the Chinese coastguard of assault, while China claimed Philippine vessels initiated the conflict and rammed a Chinese patrol boat.

Rubio commented on the altercation, stating it benefited no one. He reiterated that Washington is committed to its defense treaty obligations with Manila, assuring that the U.S. "intend[s] to live up to our treaty obligations, and I think we’ve done so, and will continue to do so."

Rubio’s comments align with an opinion piece he published in Philippine media, criticizing Beijing's conduct in the South China Sea. The U.S. has previously targeted China in moves to ban military-grade drone imports, and relations have been strained by U.S. accusations of Chinese election meddling, which Beijing denies.

This high-level engagement aims to stabilize relations and ensure that ongoing strategic competition does not escalate into open conflict, particularly as key economic and security issues remain unresolved.