There is a “high probability” that US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping will meet this year, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday.

The U.S. Secretary of State wants to bolster defense ties in the Indo-Pacific, while distrust of Trump’s commitments to the region, particularly on economic issues, runs deep.

The two major powers vied to push their agendas in Asia at a time of simmering tension over a U.S. trade tariffs offensive.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio relayed President Donald Trump’s “disappointment and frustration” during a “frank conversation” with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Malaysia on Thursday but new ideas to drive an end to the conflict were also discussed,

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefly spoke to his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov at the start of a meeting of East Asia foreign ministers in Kuala Lumpur on Friday.

A senior state department official has asserted that it is in “America’s interest” to commit to East Asia and Southeast Asia. Trump has been advised to prioritise Asia amid China’s threatening influen