Description: US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, while attending the ASEAN Foreign Minister Summit in Malaysia, met with China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi as they discussed easing of trade tensions. China and the US have recently agreed upon one of the most crucial issues in the trade war, the supply of rare earth minerals from China in exchange for untampered market access to US high tech products. Statements from both Rubio and Wang Yi were positive as the US Secretary of State indicated a potential direct meeting between presidents Trump and Xi was planned for the near future. The meeting was shadowed by Trump’s announcement to impose crippling tariffs on southeast Asian countries which was exploited by the Chinese Foreign Minister to present China as a reliable and predictable trading and strategic partner, pledging to form a free trade platform for China’s partners in the region.
Impact: Outside of the public portrayal of productive and substantiative meeting, Rubio and Wang Yi independently used the ASEAN meeting of foreign leaders to draw countries from southeast Asia into their respective orbits of influence. The trade negotiating breakthrough regarding the rare earth minerals and the high-tech products was the most productive development in the trade war and promised longevity in the bilateral diplomatic engagement from both countries. Trump’s announcement of additional imposition of tariffs hampered Rubio’s diplomatic campaign and made China more appealing as the regional dominant force. The meeting could be perceived as establishing the political groundwork before a crucial Trump – Xi encounter which would effectively determine the long – term pathway for bilateral trade relations between the two largest global economies.