diplomacyWednesday, July 22, 20263 sources

Wang Yi and Marco Rubio Meet in Manila to Discuss Xi's US Visit and South China Sea Dispute

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met in Manila during Asean meetings to discuss President Xi Jinping’s planned visit to the US and the South China Sea dispute with the Philippines. The meeting focused on laying groundwork for a 'very positive visit' by Xi to Washington in September.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met in Manila on July 22, 2026, during a series of Asean meetings. The discussion included President Xi Jinping’s planned visit to the US later in the year and the ongoing South China Sea dispute between Beijing and Manila. The meeting also addressed preparations for a 'very positive visit' by Xi to Washington in September, according to reports from the Associated Press and the New York Times. The New York Times noted that the meeting focused on the summit between Trump and Xi Jinping, though Trump’s claims of election interference by China were not discussed.

Timelines

Sources

IndependentNew York TimesJul 22, 07:10 PM
Rubio and Chinese Diplomat Make Plans for Trump and Xi’s Washington Summit

Secretary of State Marco Rubio spent much of a meeting with China’s foreign minister discussing the summit, but did not bring up President Trump’s claims of election interference by China.

PublicChannel News AsiaJul 22, 03:32 PM
Rubio meets Chinese foreign minister, discusses laying groundwork for Xi's US visit

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of an ASEAN gathering and discussed the need to lay the groundwork for a "very positive visit" to Washington in September by President Xi Jinping.

IndependentSouth China Morning PostJul 22, 02:04 PM
Wang Yi and Marco Rubio at Asean discuss Xi’s planned US visit, South China Sea clash

The top Chinese and American diplomats discussed President Xi Jinping’s planned visit to the US later this year and the dispute between Beijing and Manila in the South China Sea during their bilateral meeting on Wednesday. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio are in Manila for a series of Asean meetings from Monday to Thursday, including the Asean foreign ministers’ meeting which brings together 11 member states, along with ministers from Russia, Japan,...