US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed on Wednesday, 23 July that Chinese President Xi Jinping's planned visit to Washington in September remains on course, following an extended bilateral meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of ASEAN-related meetings in Manila. Rubio said the talks were focused squarely on laying the groundwork for a productive summit, even as deep strategic differences between the two powers persist.

What Rubio Said About the September Summit

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Rubio characterised the lengthy session as a product of translation demands rather than any friction between the delegations. 'We talked a lot about the visit in September, and that was really the gist of it,' he said. 'It was just to create the groundwork for another positive visit. I think President Xi will have a very positive visit when he comes to Washington.'

He said officials from both sides would spend the weeks ahead identifying areas of cooperation and working toward 'concrete deliverables' before the summit. Trade and investment implementation mechanisms agreed during earlier engagements were cited as one such potential deliverable.

Managing Differences, Not Eliminating Them

Rubio described the United States and China as 'the two most powerful countries in the world' in economic terms, and argued that sustained communication was non-negotiable regardless of rivalry. 'We have to have a relationship,' he said. 'There are areas of great differences. Both sides will acknowledge that. We'll have to work through those. And I think these differences will exist for the foreseeable future, and our job is to sort of manage those so that they never get out of control.'

He drew a parallel with US-Soviet communications during the Cold War, arguing it would be 'frankly, reckless and irresponsible' for Washington and Beijing not to maintain a relationship given their combined weight on the global economy.

Taiwan, South China Sea, and Freedom of Navigation

On Taiwan, Rubio said the issue surfaces in every meeting with Chinese officials, with Washington opposing Beijing's military activities around the island. 'We actually think that they run contrary to the spirit of what we're trying to work out with them with regards to strategic stability,' he said. He reaffirmed that the US would continue freedom of navigation operations and honour treaty commitments to regional allies, including the Philippines. 'We're never going to accept that international waterways are somehow under the control of other countries,' Rubio stated.

Fentanyl, Iran, and the India Tariff Question

Rubio noted measured progress on bilateral cooperation to combat fentanyl trafficking, saying law enforcement agencies from both countries continue to engage, though the situation is 'not entirely where we need to be.' On Iran, he suggested Beijing had been constructive, publicly opposing restrictions on commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz — a position Rubio called 'important.'

On India, Rubio disclosed that External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar did not raise US tariffs on generic pharmaceutical imports during their discussions. 'I would expect them to be concerned about it, but they didn't raise it today,' Rubio said, adding that India-US ties remain close. Notably, Rubio also confirmed that allegations of Chinese election interference were not discussed at the Manila meeting.

Broader Context: US-China Ties Under Trump

The Manila talks come as the Trump administration seeks to stabilise ties with Beijing while continuing to compete across trade, technology, security, and influence in the Indo-Pacific. Relations between the world's two largest economies remain strained over Taiwan, export controls, military activity in the South China Sea, and broader strategic competition. Xi's expected September visit to Washington would mark the highest-level US-China engagement since President Donald Trump returned to office — and the weeks ahead will test whether the groundwork laid in Manila can translate into tangible outcomes.