US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held bilateral talks on Wednesday on the sidelines of an ASEAN-led gathering in Manila, with both sides confirming that preparations for a possible September summit between President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping were on the agenda. The meeting, confirmed by a State Department official, took place as the broader regional forum was dominated by renewed US-Iran military confrontation and a sharp escalation in the South China Sea between China and the Philippines, a US treaty ally.

On the South China Sea, Rubio described a recent clash near the Second Thomas Shoal as “very negative and benefiting no one”, according to a readout cited by regional media. In an opinion article published upon his arrival, the US secretary of state warned that if the waterway fell “under the control of a power willing to use commerce as a geopolitical weapon”, both the US and ASEAN states would face threats to their sovereignty and economic futures. Beijing, through its foreign ministry and Wang’s own remarks to ASEAN counterparts, attributed the incident to deliberate provocations by elements of the Philippine security apparatus that it said served the interests of unnamed “external forces”. Wang told the gathering that China and ASEAN could be “the anchor for regional and global peace” and expressed willingness to eliminate interfering factors. Canberra, through Foreign Minister Penny Wong, voiced concern about “destabilising and risky” behaviour and said regional countries faced a choice in how to respond.

On the Middle East, Rubio placed responsibility for the renewed hostilities squarely on Iran, telling ASEAN foreign ministers that Tehran was “not serious about talks” and that Washington would “do what’s necessary” to protect its interests and those of allies. He stressed that Iran could not be allowed to control the Strait of Hormuz, arguing it would set a dangerous precedent for other strategic waterways, including in Southeast Asia. Rubio separately noted that China had, in some respects, cooperated with the US by making clear it did not support tolling or restrictions on global shipping through international straits. ASEAN ministers expressed serious concern about the economic fallout from the conflict, with import-dependent members such as the Philippines—which declared a national energy emergency in March—facing acute fuel supply pressures.

The Rubio-Wang encounter unfolded against a backdrop of what both sides describe as a fragile truce in bilateral relations, complicated by Trump’s accusations of Chinese election meddling, which Beijing denies. The two diplomats also addressed the planned Trump-Xi meeting, which Rubio said on Sunday remained anticipated. On the margins of the ASEAN forum, Rubio joined counterparts from India, Australia and Japan for a Quad meeting that Beijing has criticised as a Cold War-style containment mechanism. ASEAN’s own agenda included the unresolved question of Myanmar’s reintegration, with Thailand urging incremental progress and Malaysia opposing high-level engagement while what it termed oppression continues. The Manila meetings are scheduled to conclude on Thursday, with no immediate breakthrough expected on the South China Sea code of conduct, though China’s ambassador to the Philippines told local reporters a deal remained achievable by year-end.